Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade said Thursday that the city may take until the start of 2025 to figure out what the voter-approved recreational marijuana ballot measure will look like in practice.

City voters in November’s election approved Question 300, which would allow the existing medical marijuana stores to opt into selling recreational marijuana, as well. In his first monthly press briefing since the election, Mobolade said city staff was working on how the ballot measure would be implemented.

“This is an unprecedented update. We want to be sure that we get it right,” Mobolade said.

The City Council-backed ballot measure 2D, which would have amended the city’s charter to ban recreational sales, is set to be narrowly rejected by voters in the election.

Colorado Springs retail marijuana ban fails, according to final unofficial election results

Mobolade had supported the charter-ban attempt and said Thursday he believes legalizing marijuana still poses dangers for the city’s military partners and broader community.

“At the same time, I respect that the people have spoken in this election,” Mobolade said.

One of the biggest legal questions remains the differing zoning setbacks between the ballot measure and the ordinance the City Council passed earlier this year.

Question 300 proposes stores be located at least 1,000 feet from schools and other facilities. The city ordinance expanded the distance to 1 mile from schools, child care or drug and alcohol treatment facilities — a limit that no current medical marijuana shop could meet.

Could retail marijuana in Colorado Springs be decided once and for all? Here’s what is next.

The mayor’s office said the zoning setbacks aren’t the only question being looked into. Mobolade said there were questions about what happens to other medical marijuana stores when a store near them opts into selling recreationally. The city also was comparing the language between Question 300 and the similar ballot question that voters rejected in 2022.

City spokesperson Vanessa Zink said the city has to begin accepting license applications for the new recreational stores by Feb. 10.