{"id":51958,"date":"2021-12-24T10:28:42","date_gmt":"2021-12-24T18:28:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2021\/12\/24\/what-to-expect-when-montana-recreational-marijuana-sales-launch-on-january-1\/"},"modified":"2021-12-24T13:45:28","modified_gmt":"2021-12-24T21:45:28","slug":"what-to-expect-when-montana-recreational-marijuana-sales-launch-on-january-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cannabiscultivatornews.com\/home\/index.php\/2021\/12\/24\/what-to-expect-when-montana-recreational-marijuana-sales-launch-on-january-1\/","title":{"rendered":"What To Expect When Montana Recreational Marijuana Sales Launch On January 1"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may not be much product available after the first couple of days, for several weeks.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

By Max Savage Levenson, Montana Free Press<\/strong><\/p>\n

On January 1, 2022, adult-use recreational marijuana will become available for purchase in Montana. The launch of the new market raises a wide range of questions, from how much marijuana an individual can possess, to whether they can consume it in a national park, to the types of products that will be available for purchase.<\/p>\n

Read on for answers to those questions, and many more, in this Montana Free Press guide to the state\u2019s post-prohibition marijuana marketplace.<\/p>\n

WHO CAN BUY MARIJUANA IN MONTANA?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Starting January 1, 2022, any adult age 21 or older can purchase marijuana and marijuana products. That includes Montana residents, residents of other American states and territories and international travelers with valid identification.<\/p>\n

WHAT DO I NEED TO BRING WITH ME TO A DISPENSARY?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Bring identification proving that you are 21 years of age.<\/p>\n

Virtually all marijuana transactions are in cash due to ongoing federal restrictions on banking services for the industry. Bring your own to avoid paying ATM fees at the shop.<\/p>\n

Shops are required to put your purchases in a plastic, child-proof \u201cexit bag.\u201d On subsequent trips, bring that reusable exit bag with you to limit waste and avoid paying for a new one.<\/p>\n

Especially during the opening weeks of the recreational program, bring a good dose of patience. Budtenders will be answering lots of questions from novice consumers, and lines may be long.<\/p>\n

WILL THE STATE TRACK MY PURCHASES OR PUT ME ON A LIST OF MARIJUANA CONSUMERS?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

No. While a business can make a scan of your identification \u201cto determine the consumer\u2019s age,\u201d per\u00a0House Bill 701<\/a>, the state\u2019s legalization framework bill, it can only keep those records for 180 days. Furthermore, dispensaries are not permitted to share that information with the state, nor can they transfer or sell it to a third party.<\/p>\n

WHAT KINDS OF MARIJUANA PRODUCTS CAN I PURCHASE AT A MONTANA DISPENSARY?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Customers will be able to purchase a wide array of products including marijuana flower (the smokable green buds), edibles, tinctures, vaporizer cartridges, concentrates and topicals. These products must be produced within the state of Montana.<\/p>\n

Marijuana flower cannot contain more than 35 percent THC, the most common psychoactive compound in the cannabis plant (this applies exclusively to recreational sales, not medical sales). Flower typically contains between 15 percent and 25 percent THC, and is available in various strains with obscure and vivid names, from Apple Fritter to Peanut Butter Lady and Missoula Kush Cake.<\/p>\n

Edibles are available in many forms, including chocolates, gummies, infused olive oils and more. A package of recreational market edibles cannot contain more than 100mg of THC (again, this does not apply to medical patients).<\/p>\n

\u201cConcentrates\u201d are extracted cannabis oils, which tend to be extremely potent and are not recommended for novice consumers.<\/p>\n

Customers will additionally be able to purchase smoking accessories such as bongs, pipes and dab rigs\u2014a specific type of glass pipe used to consume concentrates\u2014from pot shops. Those products can be manufactured in-state or imported from elsewhere.<\/p>\n

Businesses will also be able to sell CBD products. CBD (technically known as cannabidiol) is typically derived from federally legal hemp, and is sold in edible, tincture, topical and other forms. Those products can be manufactured within Montana or imported from other states.<\/p>\n

Pot shops cannot sell hemp plant material.<\/p>\n

IS MARIJUANA TESTED IN MONTANA?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes. All products must be tested for a wide range of bacteria, mold and heavy metals, as well as for potency and the various compounds they contain. The state is home to several testing labs;\u00a0Fidelity Diagnostics<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0Stillwater Laboratories<\/a>\u00a0are the two largest facilities.<\/p>\n

ARE SHOPS EXPECTED TO RUN OUT OF MARIJUANA QUICKLY?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Industry stakeholders and business owners are bracing for a large influx of new customers that may liquidate their inventory quickly.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere may not be much product available after the first couple of days, for several weeks,\u201d said Pepper Petersen, president of the industry association Montana Cannabis Guild. \u201cEveryone\u2019s been prepping to get ready for this, but national trends [in states that have previously legalized] indicate a level of demand three to five times larger than for medical marijuana.\u201d There could be 200,000 new in-state customers, he added.<\/p>\n

HOW MUCH MARIJUANA CAN I PURCHASE AT A TIME?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Customers will be able to purchase up to one ounce of marijuana per transaction, or the THC equivalent in other forms: 800 milligrams of edibles or eight grams of concentrate.<\/p>\n

Customers are not limited to a single type of product, and can mix and match up to the limit between different forms.<\/p>\n

WILL MY PURCHASE BE TAXED?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes. All recreational marijuana purchases will be subject to a flat 20 percent sales tax. As of this writing, Missoula, Park and Yellowstone counties have enacted an additional local-option 3 percent tax.<\/p>\n

HOW LATE CAN DISPENSARIES STAY OPEN?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Per\u00a0House Bill 701<\/a>, recreational and medical marijuana businesses cannot open before 9 AM or stay open past 8 PM.<\/p>\n

CAN ONE SHOP SELL ANOTHER BUSINESS\u2019S MARIJUANA OR MARIJUANA PRODUCTS?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes. Although Montana\u2019s medical marijuana industry was previously vertically integrated, meaning that any medical dispensary was required to grow its own cannabis plants and produce any other additional products themselves, that restriction has been removed from both the medical and recreational markets in the adult-use legalization bill. As a result, a shop can now purchase wholesale and sell another grower\u2019s marijuana flower, gummies, vape cartridges and tinctures.<\/p>\n

CAN I BUY MARIJUANA ANYWHERE IN MONTANA?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

No. Per HB 701, only counties where a majority of residents voted in favor of cannabis legalization<\/a> during the 2020 election have authorized recreational sales, and are referred to as \u201cgreen counties.\u201d Counties that did not vote in favor of legalization, however, have the right to take a re-vote on the question and switch from a \u201cred county\u201d to a \u201cgreen county.\u201d<\/p>\n

Generally speaking, counties in western Montana have been more amenable to permitting marijuana sales.<\/p>\n

You can find the full current list of \u201cgreen\u201d and \u201cred\u201d counties\u00a0here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

HOW MUCH MARIJUANA CAN I LEGALLY POSSESS?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Possession of up to one ounce of marijuana, or its THC equivalent in edibles, concentrates and other products, is legal in the state of Montana.<\/p>\n

Possession of larger quantities of marijuana\u00a0remains illegal in Montana<\/a>. Possession of between one and two ounces is considered a civil infraction and subject to fines of up to $500. Possession of more than two ounces is considered a felony punishable by up to five years in prison and\/or fines up to $45,000.<\/p>\n

CAN I DRIVE WITH MARIJUANA IN MY VEHICLE IN MONTANA?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Yes, but there\u2019s a huge caveat: It must be in its unopened, original packaging and stored outside of the car\u2019s \u201cpassenger area.\u201d In other words, it\u2019s required to be, per HB 701, either (a) in a locked glove compartment or storage compartment; (b) in a trunk, luggage compartment, truck bed or cargo compartment; (c) behind the last upright seat of a motor vehicle that is not equipped with a trunk or (d) in a closed container in the area of a motor vehicle that is not equipped with a trunk and that is not normally occupied by the driver or a passenger.<\/p>\n

The law notes that a person convicted of the offense of unlawful possession of a legally permitted quantity of marijuana in a motor vehicle \u201cshall be fined an amount not to exceed $100.\u201d<\/p>\n