Springfield City Council repeals marijuana ordinance

Council members satisfied that requirement by adopting the marijuana petition at a meeting Aug. 27. Whether the subsequent repeal contradicts the intent of the charter remains a matter of debate — and could be the subject of a lawsuit.

Maranda Reynolds, of the group Springfield Cannabis Regulation, said supporters are considering whether to challenge the council’s actions in court. “Petitioners’ interests in this process were definitely undermined ... they haven’t respected our work,” she said, arguing the council had subverted the process outlined in the charter.

Another possibility would be to pursue a referendum petition, which could force a public vote to overturn the council’s repeal if at least 2,100 signatures can be gathered within 30 days.

But Councilman Tom Bieker noted Monday that even that offers no guarantee of a public vote, as the council simply could approve that petition — putting the marijuana law back on the books — then wait a few weeks and repeal it again.