Is Marijuana Legal In Montana?

Honestly, we couldn't tell you. Voted on during the fall of 2020, "We The People" decided it should be. Fast forward 6 months and Governor Gianforte and Senator Jason Ellsworth have decided that 'legal' should have a very obscure and 'extremely regulated' meaning. They even went so far as to have a Deloitte consultant write up the rules and regulations. A few highlights of which include:

• No homegrows (save for medically licensed providers)
• Local government required opt-ins for one or more of 8 new license types for businesses
• Higher medical tax (9%)
• Increased recreational tax (25%)
• Added local government recreational tax (5%)
• Businesses now buy their own state required tracking tags
• No outdoor grows
• No advertising of any kind
• Blank / black and white packaging with no logos, marks or brands
• THC potency limits: Flower (35% - why even cap it?) (10mg per edible serving)

I mean... jeeze Jim where's the tea party? #taxedmuch Is this the new America or what? So, as a business owner in this industry, my skin is pretty thick. I got into the cannabis game understanding that there would be many necessary pivots and compliance hoops to jump through. However, what gets frustrating is watching as a citizen and Montanan voter as the will of the people is folded into a money generating Frankenstein for an oversized government that the people already distrust and are sick of. How can you possibly legalize a plant and then forbid people from growing it at home?

Follow along the legislative trail at www.montanacannabisinsider.com for real time updates.

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