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Pot Ballot Issues Cover Both Sides In 2 Colorado Cities

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (CBS4) - Medical marijuana dispensaries are on the ballot in two Northern Colorado cities, with two opposite questions being asked of voters.

In Berthoud, voters will decide whether to ban dispensaries within city limits and in Fort Collins, an initiative would overturn the ban voters approved last year.

"As you can see, we have a lot of edibles and topicals," said medical marijuana dispensary owner Kevin Ballinger.

Ballinger owns the one and only medical marijuana dispensary in Berthoud. He's been in business since 2009.

The future of his business is in the hands of his fellow citizens.

"We've invested everything into this business," said Ballinger. "They want to limit it to no marijuana in city limits in Berthoud which means we would be kicked out of Berthoud.

A group of citizens in Berthoud collected enough signatures on a petition to get the initiative on the November ballot.

"If we lose the election we have 90 days to shut down," said Ballinger.

In Fort Collins, the city received enough signatures on a petition to ask voters to reconsider the ban they placed on medical marijuana dispensaries approved by voters in November 2011.

"They needed 4,214 signatures which is 15 percent of the total ballots cast in the last regular election," said Fort Collins City Clerk Wanda Nelson.

Nelson said they received more than what was required. Now it's up to Northern Colorado voters to decide what to do.

"I think that if people would research it and they would put themselves in other people's shoes they would understand that it really isn't a horrible thing. It's a good thing," said Ballinger.

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