MONTANA CANNABIS PROGRAM
MONTANA
Licenses Available
STATE STATUS
Medical marijuana is legal in the state of Montana, registered patients may access medical marijuana through licensed medical marijuana businesses that are allowed to grow, process/manufacture and/or dispense medical marijuana. On November 3rd, 2020, Montana voted to pass Initiative 190 (I-190) and Constitutional Initiative 118 (CI-118) to legalize adult-use/recreational marijuana in Montana.
Governor Greg Gianforte signed House Bills 128 and 903 into law in May 2023. Due to these bills, the adult-use marijuana industry will remain closed off to new entrants for at least two more years. House Bil 128 extends an existing moratorium on new licenses until July 1, 2025.
Learn more about how to get a Montana marijuana business license or schedule a complimentary consultation with our licensing team, below.
Hemp
Yes
Medical Marijuana
Yes
Adult Use
Yes
When to Apply
July 2025
News
NUMBER OF MONTANA MARIJUANA BUSINESS LICENSES AVAILABLE
Montana Adult-Use Marijuana Business Licenses: A person who obtains an adult-use provider license, adult-use marijuana-infused products provider license, or adult-use dispensary license is authorized to cultivate, manufacture, possess, sell, and transport marijuana. The two initiatives did not provide any limitations on the number of licenses, however, it also does not prohibit the state legislature and/or regulatory agency from establishing limits on the number of licenses issued in the future. The state will issue the following types of licenses:
- Adult-use provider means a person licensed by the department to cultivate and process marijuana for consumers.
- Adult-use marijuana-infused products provider means a person licensed by the department to manufacture and provide marijuana-infused products for consumers.
- Adult-use dispensary means a registered premises from which a licensed adult-use provider or adult-use marijuana-infused products provider is approved by the department to dispense marijuana or marijuana-infused products to a consumer.
Montana Medical Marijuana Business Licenses: Montana’s medical marijuana program allows for a vertical business model – this means a licensee must grow, manufacture/process and sell their own products. A provider license is required to cultivate and manufacture/process medical marijuana. Provider licenses are tiered based canopy space increments, starting from 250 square feet to 20,000 square feet. A dispensary license is required to have premises from which a provider is approved by the department to dispense marijuana to a registered cardholder.
For the first 12 months after the state begins to receive applications, the regulating department shall only accept applications from and issue licenses to existing medical marijuana business licensees that are in good standing with the state of Montana.
HOW TO START A MARIJUANA BUSINESS IN MONTANA
To obtain a marijuana business license in Montana, you will be required to submit an application. As part of the application, some of the plans you will need to include the following:
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- Security Plan
- Environmental Impact Plan
- Quality Control and Quality Assurance Plan
- Business History Plan
- Financial Plan
- Community Benefits Plan
- Research Plan
- Cultivation, Manufacturing and/or Dispensing Plan
- Labor Compliance Plan
- Staffing and Training Plan
Schedule for a complimentary 15-min consult with our licensing/application expert to learn more about how we may be able to assist you.
MONTANA MARIJUANA TIMELINE
2004 – State legalized medical marijuana. Access to medical marijuana was through a caregiver collective program.
2016 – State legalized a legal dispensing system, allowing for licensed medical marijuana businesses.
2019 – The state legalized a bill making major amendments to the medical marijuana program.
Nov 3, 2020 – Initiatives passed to legalize adult-use marijuana.
October 2021 – The department shall promulgate rules and regulations to administer and enforce the adult-use marijuana program and shall begin accepting applications for and issuing licenses for marijuana businesses.
January 2022 – For the first 12 months after the department begins to receive applications, the department shall only accept applications from and issue licenses to existing medical marijuana businesses.
July 2025 – Moratorium on new licenses ends, Adult-use applications can be accepted.
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CONTACT US
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Chairman, Solevo Wellness"Sara’s success speaks for itself. Our company continues to engage Sara for ongoing consulting and her advice remains solid and relevant to our growth."
Owner, Firefly Dispensaries in Pennsylvania."Working with Sara was a pleasure. We don’t know how we would have gotten through the application process without her."
Arizona Vertically Integrated Facility Owner