Pot sales in Montana record a surge in June

Recreational cannabis sales continue to rise in the Big Sky Country, with Montana reporting a record high last month.

The state Treasury Department reported that adult cannabis sales in Montana totaled more than $17 million in June — the highest number since recreational cannabis sales began in January.

Between recreational and medical marijuana, Montana has generated nearly $150 million in cannabis sales this year. The combined recreational and medical sales have netted nearly $21 million in state taxes so far this year, according to local news station NBC Montana.

Recreational cannabis is taxed at 20% in Montana, while medical cannabis only has a 4% state sales tax.

Not surprisingly, recreational cannabis sales have outpaced medical cannabis sales in the state.

From January through June, Montana’s new recreational cannabis program generated $93,747,110 compared to $54,324,681 in medicinal cannabis sales.

The state had previously forecast $130 million in recreational cannabis sales this year and more than $195 million in 2023.

Montana’s recreational pot sale kicked off with great fanfare on New Year’s Day. It was one of four states that passed ballot measures to legalize adult-use cannabis in 2020 (Arizona, South Dakota, and New Jersey were the other three).

In its opening weekend, total cannabis sales in Montana totaled more than $1.5 million.

Local newspaper Independent Record reported at the time that pharmacies in the capital, Helena, “had queues of people inside to escape cold temperatures, while others saw a small but steady stream of pedestrians through midday”.

Local television station KTVH reported that the program, which launched in January, has “an estimated 380 dispensaries in 29 counties and is now able to sell marijuana to both medical and recreational customers.”

After successfully passing the legalization vote, Montana lawmakers promptly passed legislation in 2021 that established a framework for the sale of recreational cannabis in the state.

For Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte, perhaps the most important component of this legislation was the HEART Fund, which will use proceeds from the recreational cannabis program to subsidize drug abuse treatment in the state.

“It was clear to me from the start that we needed to devote more resources to fighting the drug epidemic that was devastating our communities,” Gianforte said after the law was signed. “The HEART Fund funds a full continuum of substance abuse prevention and treatment programs for communities and provides renewed support for Montanans who want to get clean, sober and healthy.”

The new law also includes a legal mechanism through which individuals previously convicted of certain marijuana-related offenses can request that those records be deleted.

In March, the Montana Supreme Court issued temporary rules governing these deletion proceedings.

According to Missoula Current, “The new law says that anyone convicted of a crime that would now be legal in the state may request that their conviction be removed from their record, have their sentence reduced, or have it reclassified as a lesser felony.” becomes”.

The biggest clarification from the State Supreme Court “was to let people know that they can file their cancellation requests in the court where they were originally convicted,” according to Missoula Current.

Montana state court clerk Beth McLaughlin told Missoula Current, “There has been some confusion about a separate misdemeanor cancellation process that requires all defendants to go through district courts,” but the law “says that courts should assume that.” someone it is eligible for deletion unless the district attorney proves otherwise.”

“The interest is to make it easier for litigants,” McLaughlin said, as quoted by Missoula Current. “It’s about making them as readily available as possible.”