Missoula County Cannabis – Is It Legal & Where To Buy 2025
- Montana Cannabis
- Missoula County Cannabis
Is Cannabis Cultivation Legal in Missoula County?
Yes. The Montana Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MMRTA) or House Bill 701 (HB 701) of the State of Montana, which was enacted on May 18, 2021, legalized licensed medical and adult-use cannabis cultivation in Missoula County. The MMRTA integrated and revised prior cannabis legislation for both medical and adult usage. However, the MMRTA only allows adult-use cannabis businesses in counties that opted for it. Missoula County allows adult-use cannabis businesses.
Medical and adult-use cannabis are overseen by the Montana Department of Revenue (DOR) Cannabis Control Division (CCD). The CCD TransAction Portal (TAP) accepts applications for any type of cannabis business license, automatically authorizing each one for both medical and adult-use cannabis. One licensee is allowed to hold concurrent licenses for cannabis cultivation, processing, and retailing. Application fees for all types of cannabis business licenses are non-refundable and cost 20% of the particular license fee.
The MMRTA mandates that new cannabis cultivation licensees can only grow their crops indoors, and [not publicly visible](https://leg.mt.gov/content/Committees/Interim/2021-2022/Economic Affairs/Meetings/November 2021/HB701_Codified/Licensing & Regulation/Regulations.pdf). These are the cannabis cultivation license types and their license fees:
| Tier | Growing Area Allowed | Number of Facilities Allowed | License Fee |
| Micro Tier 1 | 250 square feet | 1 facility | $1,000 |
| Tier 1 | 1,000 square feet | 1 facility | $2,500 |
| Tier 2 | 2,500 square feet | 2 facilities | $5,000 |
| Tier 3 | 5,000 square feet | 3 facilities | $7,500 |
| Tier 4 | 7,500 square feet | 4 facilities | $10,000 |
| Tier 5 | 10,000 square feet | 5 facilities | $13,000 |
| Tier 6 | 13,000 square feet | 5 facilities | $15,000 |
| Tier 7 | 15,000 square feet | 5 facilities | $17,500 |
| Tier 8 | 17,500 square feet | 5 facilities | $20,000 |
| Tier 9 | 20,000 square feet | 6 facilities | $23,000 |
| Tier 10 | 30,000 square feet | 7 facilities | $27,000 |
| Tier 11 | 40,000 square feet | 8 facilities | $32,000 |
| Tier 12 | 50,000 square feet | 9 facilities | $37,000 |
\ The CCD also issues a cannabis combined-use license which allows a Tier 1 cultivation facility to be in the exact location as a dispensary. However, this is issued only for any of the State of Montana’s eight tribes that are federally recognized. The license fee costs $7,500. Only one such license may be held by each tribe and the site must be 150 air miles or less from the tribal reservation.
The State of Montana allows the home cultivation of cannabis for personal use within a private residence, also hidden from the public’s sight. Individuals who are 21 years old or older may each have two cannabis seedlings and two mature cannabis plants at most. Medical cannabis cardholders may each have four cannabis seedlings and four mature cannabis plants maximum.
Is Cannabis Manufacturing Legal in Missoula County?
Yes. The MMRTA of the State of Montana legalized licensed medical and adult-use cannabis product manufacturing in Missoula County. The standard cannabis business application guidelines and prerequisites of the CCD are also applicable. The MMRTA further stipulates that cannabis product processing is not permitted to be viewable by the public.
These are the cannabis product manufacturing license types and their license fees:
| Tier | Monthly Production of Cannabis Concentrate Allowed | License Fee |
| Tier 1 | 10 pounds | $5,000 |
| Tier 2 | 10 to 15 pounds | $10,000 |
| Tier 3 | 15 pounds or more | $20,000 |
Is Cannabis Retail Legal in Missoula County?
Yes. Licensed medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis product retail in Missoula County is legal as stipulated by the State of Montana’s MMRTA. Adult-use cannabis dispensaries licensed by the CCD are permitted to sell both medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. However, medical cannabis and medical cannabis products can only be sold to medical cannabis cardholders, while adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products to individuals who are 21 years old or older.
Beginning January 1, 2022, and continuing until the medical cannabis dispensary obtains an adult-use cannabis dispensary license, the MMRTA permitted currently licensed medical cannabis dispensaries to sell adult-use cannabis and adult-use cannabis products to customers who are at least 21 years old. The medical marijuana dispensary must obtain the adult-use license ahead of the expiration of its previous one.
All other basic CCD rules are applicable to cannabis manufacturing license applicants and licensees. With a $5,000 licensing fee per dispensary site, an applicant may submit applications for multiple cannabis dispensary outlets. The MMRTA only permits licensed marijuana stores to be open from 9 am to 8 pm. Persons under 21 are prohibited from entering a licensed dispensary, with the exception of holders of a medical cannabis card.
Licensed cannabis dispensaries are allowed by the MMRTA to sell raw cannabis and cannabis products including derivatives, tinctures, concentrates, edible goods, and ointments, among others.
The limitations for recreational cannabis and its products to be sold to age-qualified consumers are as follows:
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content not exceeding 35% for cannabis flowers
- THC content not exceeding 100 milligrams for individual capsules, transdermal patches, or suppositories
- THC content not exceeding 800 milligrams for one package of capsules, transdermal patches, or suppositories
- THC content not exceeding 10 milligrams for each serving of edible cannabis products
- THC content not exceeding 100 milligrams for each package of edible cannabis products
- THC content not exceeding 6% for topical cannabis products
- THC content not exceeding 800 milligrams for one package of topical cannabis products
The purchase limit for medical cannabis cardholders is comprised of one ounce of cannabis flowers per day but only up to five ounces of cannabis flowers per month. A petition for an exception is needed to enable a medical cannabis cardholder to purchase a maximum of eight ounces of cannabis flowers per month. One ounce of cannabis flower is equivalent to cannabis concentrate that contains eight grams or milliliters of THC, or a cannabis product that contains 800 milligrams of THC.
Is Cannabis Delivery Legal in Missoula County?
No. The delivery of medical and adult-use cannabis and cannabis products, even by CCD-licensed retailers, is not legal under the MMRTA of the State of Montana. Licensed dispensaries may only sell to medical cannabis cardholders and individuals who are 21 years old or older inside dispensary facilities, or hand over the purchased items to the qualified purchasers who are waiting in a vehicle that is parked immediately outside the building.
How to Get a Medical Marijuana Card in Missoula County
To acquire a medical cannabis card, residents of Missoula County must apply through the CCD TAP online only after obtaining from a licensed doctor of medicine or osteopathy a Physician’s Statement for a Debilitating Medical Condition or a Physician’s Statement for a Debilitating Medical Condition for Minors. Within 60 days of getting either document, the online application must be completed by the patient.
If the patient is below 18, a guardian must upload during the application process proof of legal guardianship. The guardian will be fingerprinted for the criminal background check. All patients and their caregivers must upload valid proof of being a resident of the State of Montana, their recent photo, and the scanned physician’s statement. For applicants who intend to cultivate cannabis at home, proof of home ownership or proof of the homeowner’s consent must be uploaded, as well. The application fee is $20. If not payable online, it may be sent in cash or as a check or money order to the following:
Montana Department of Revenue
PO Box 5835
Helena, MT, 59604
A digital copy of the medical cannabis card may be printed for temporary use from the TAP while awaiting the mailed physical card.
Inquiries to the CCD may be made by phone at:
CCD Phone: (406) 444-0596
How Has Cannabis Legalization Impacted the Economy of Missoula County?
Missoula County charges a local option tax only on adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. The Missoula County budget for FY 2023 includes the $400,000 earned revenue from the local option tax of 3% levied on all sales of adult-use cannabis and cannabis products. From this amount, $200,000 will be used for the county’s road fund. The other half will be used to support employee wage increases to improve employee recruitment and retention in the county.
As of April 2023, cannabis sales in Missoula County totaled $3,322,270. From this, $2,626,668 came from sales of adult-use cannabis and cannabis products, while $695,602 came from sales of medical cannabis and cannabis products.
The Effects of Cannabis Legalization on Crime Rates in Missoula County
Medical cannabis was legalized in Missoula County in 2004, and adult-use cannabis was legalized in 2021.
The earliest data sent by the Missoula County Sheriff's Office to the Crime Explorer page of the FBI shows that in 2005, a year after the legalization of medical cannabis, there were 12 marijuana possession arrests and four marijuana sales arrests, totaling 16 marijuana offense arrests.
In 2010, there were 10 marijuana possession arrests and five marijuana sales arrests, totaling 15 marijuana offense arrests.
In 2015, there were eight marijuana possession arrests, comprising all marijuana offense arrests.
In 2021, the latest data showed no marijuana offense arrests.
The number of DUI arrests in those years was as follows:
- 2005: 87 arrests
- 2010: 183 arrests
- 2015: 87 arrests
- 2021: 36 arrests