Status: Medical Cannabis Only

History:

2004: Medical cannabis legalised
2016: Medical cannabis laws took effect, “effectively kicking 93% of the state’s medical cannabis patients off the state programme and into the illicit market,” taxes doubled to pay for enforcement
2017: Added compulsory testing and sales tracking for medical cannabis suppliers

Policy Framework:

• Patients must be diagnosed with a qualifying condition;
• Medical cannabis can only be obtained from a state-licenced dispensary;
• Patients must have a Montana medical cannabis card and register to a dispensary to purchase medical cannabis;
• Patients may possess up to 1oz (30g) of cannabis flower or its equivalent;
• Providers must obtain three separate licenses in order to be able to open a dispensary in Montana. Licences to sell cannabis differ in price according to how many medical cannabis card-holders have registered an individual as their main provider;
• Patients may cultivate their own medical cannabis at home;
• There are an estimated 32,240 registered medical cannabis patients in Montana, according to the Montana Department of Health & Human Services.

Outcomes:

• Between 2005 and 2017, cannabis use disorder in people over the age of 12 decreased from 2.3% to 1.5%;
• In 2018, sales of medical marijuana reached $US31.8 million.

Source: https://crime-data-explorer.fr.cloud.gov/explorer/state/montana/crime