Colorado has sold over $10 billion in rec cannabis. ShutterstockProfessional / Shutterstock.com In the wake of last yearâs economic shutdowns, five states have legalized recreational marijuana over the past four months. Colorado Springs, however, has yet to find a way to allow voters to decide whether recreational sale of the substance is right for the city. Colorado Springs, like most cities, suffered an economic blow last year. Commerce slowed to a crawl in all but a few industries. The unemployment rate rose to a record high of around 12 percent. The city of Colorado Springs instituted a hiring freeze and slashed operational budgets by 20 percent across departments, cutting more than $21 million from coffers. But while city government took a share of CARES Act funding the federal government distributed to the state last year â using it to plug holes in its budget for 2021 with $15.7 million in expenditure savings â experts say the city is still leaving on the table many more millions in tax revenue that could be generated through recreational cannabis sales.