Legalization Watch: Montana

On November 3rd citizens of Montana will have the opportunity to vote on the legalization and regulation for personal use, retail sale, and commercial production of cannabis in the state. The Montana Secretary of State’s office has confirmed these initiatives will show up on the General Election Ballot. The first ballot measure Initiative I-190 will allow for the lawful possession and consumption of cannabis and cannabis-infused products to people ages 21 and over. Adults will be able to possess up to one ounce and grow up to four plants for personal consumption. The state will impose a twenty percent tax on retail sales. The money made from these sales would go towards funding for state-sponsored substance abuse treatment, veteran services, healthcare, and other programs.

The second ballot measure CI-118 is to amend the state’s constitution that adults aged 21 and over would be able to buy and consume cannabis from retail stores. Right now under the Montana state constitution, a person of 18 years of age is considered an adult, just like all other 49 states do. This ballot measure is essential to make it so that purchasing marijuana will be like purchasing alcohol: you will need to be 21 years old to buy. So to all the college students going to school in Montana, you better hope these initiatives pass so you can have a wild 21st birthday party.

In all seriousness, it’s amazing to see more states move towards legalization. Along with Montana, we’re also going to see adult-use ballot initiatives in New Jersey, Arizona, and South Dakota. We might be getting federal legalization sooner than we think. It’s still going to take some time, but it’s definitely speeding up and will get there in the near future.