Nanny state Republicans want to reverse course on Montana's legal cannabis

A new year on the Gregorian calendar brought legal cannabis for all cash-paying adults over 21 in Montana. 

Purchased flower of no more than 35% THC plus edibles, tinctures, vaporizer cartridges, concentrates and topicals produced only in Montana are placed in reusable "exit bags” to prevent children and potentially triggered Republicans from seeing what's inside. Patients in the state's therapeutic cannabis program are exempt from the 100mg of THC cap in edibles. 

All product is tested in Montana-based labs for bacteria, mold, heavy metals, potency and other compounds. Rigs and CBD products purchased at the dispensaries can be manufactured outside of Montana and expungement of past cannabis offenses is being implemented slowly. Adults may grow two mature and two seedlings at home as long as they’re where Republicans can’t see or smell them.

Green counties tend to be in Democratic western Montana while red counties where sales are forbidden tend to be in the Republican east. 

Go figure. 

27 Montana counties have yet to legalize for all adults and Yellowstone County will even vote whether to reverse legalization in June despite sales there outpacing all other counties. So far in 2022 the State of Montana has generated some $10 million in revenue combined from patients in the therapeutic program and from other adults who enjoy cannabis. 

But, despite Republicans messing with the wills of voters the Apsáalooke Nation will wean itself from coal and move forward on building a cannabis industry.

Montana providers have sold $72.9 million in cannabis products, including both medical and recreational, since the start of 2022, according to figures released Wednesday by the Montana Department of Revenue. Recreational cannabis had its biggest month yet in March with nearly $15.9 million in sales. Medical sales came in at $9.8 million. [Montana cannabis sales outpacing projections, opposition targets conservative counties]

At the federal level the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement was passed by the US House on April 1 but Republicans in the Senate are expected to either kill it or amend it into oblivion.

Learn more at Montana Free Press.