The best weed shops near Glacier National Park

From the majestic Going-to-the-Sun Road and the tranquil surface of Lake McDonald to the occasional moose hunt and bear spectacle, Glacier National Park abounds with breathtaking nature.

And this year is more exciting than usual. For the first time ever, summertime visitors to Montana’s Glacier National Park can enjoy premium marijuana bud and superb cannabis products in small quantities (as long as you keep them out of the park).

Recreational cannabis sales began in Montana on January 1, 2022, and the region near Glacier — which includes centers of Kalispell, Whitefish, and Columbia Falls — offers a great selection of stores for adults 21 and over.

Do you want to know what varieties and products are flying off the shelves, which stores are closest to the airport and the park itself, and how much money to spend on your visit?

Leafly has you covered.

Remember, since the national park is on federal land, consuming marijuana or marijuana products there remains illegal. As Leafly has reported, being caught with weed in a national park can carry hefty penalties.

All recreational marijuana and marijuana products are subject to a flat 20% sales tax in Montana. Medical patients pay 4% tax.

Close up of purple green weed bulbs in glass jarSay Cheese! Gorilla Gouda from Big Mountain Botanicals. (Max Savage Levenson for Leafly)

Big Mountain Botanicals offers a highly polished and professional shopping experience for novice consumers and canasseurs alike.

While BMB’s original Columbia Falls store is a stone’s throw from Glacier Park International Airport, the new Whitefish location — housed in a former gymnasium-turned-church and pictured here — is much larger.

The brand new Pot Emporium is easy to navigate and extremely convenient. A handful of secluded, low sofas provide a lovely spot to take a breather (or play with BMB’s two adorable shop dogs, Littlefoot and Honey). Customers can view the shop’s Primo Bud in freestanding display stands before queuing to make a purchase.

smiling man in front of long wooden sales counter with glass showcases displaying cannabis productsJesse Miller, CEO of Big Mountain Botanicals. (Max Savage Levenson for Leafly)

BMB has some of the friendliest and most knowledgeable budtenders in Montana. Their new Whitefish store opened just a week before my visit in June and is already running remarkably smoothly.

The team curates a great mix of in-house strains and produce and excellent vendors from across the state. I’m a big fan of their indica-heavy O’Cheese and Gorilla Gouda (both $36 an eighth, which includes Montana’s 20% tax). The store’s various flavors range from $30 to $42 an eighth.

Looking for a super gentle, low dose way to unwind after a long hike? Big Mountain also sells in-house 100 mg CBD gummies that calm my mind and body in equal measure.

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Shop fittings, lots of wood and a large shelf full of ceramic delicatessen jars(Courtesy of Cannabis Counter at Haskill Creek)

If Martha Stewart were to design a marijuana store and put it in the back of a high-end general store, it would probably look something like a Haskill Creek cannabis counter.

Cannabis Counter showcases excellent bud, a handful of unusual products, and eco-conscious business practices. I love their flavorful 2-milligram microdose gummies, which come in day and nighttime formulas ($28 excluding tax for a 20-gummy pack).

Their disposable vapes ($45, before tax) are super terpy. Return them to the store for recycling and receive a 5% discount on your next purchase.

green disposable vape cart next to the packaging, with pot leaf displays(Courtesy of Cannabis Counter at Haskill Creek)

The store presents its premium flower in beautiful deli-style ceramic jars. I’m a big fan of The Soap ($40 per eighth, pre-tax), a smooth sativa known for its euphoric and aphrodisiac effects. Cannabis Counter sells glass storage jars that customers can bring with them when they get up; With the smooth move, you will receive an additional 5% discount.

If you’re looking for a more old-fashioned pharmacy experience, we recommend checking out the family-run 406 Farmacy in Whitefish. The shop is very loved by locals and after visiting it it’s clear why

406 has a cheerful and welcoming vibe. The two sales counters at opposite ends of the store make it easy to navigate the smaller space.

Looking down into a glass jar full of bright green weed nuggets406 Farmacy grows some premium Oreoz. (Max Savage Levenson for Leafly)

I bought some of the store’s super-cool Oreoz, an adorable mix of Cookies and Cream and Secret Weapon (all flowers sell for $46 an eighth, including tax). Expertly cured, the bud smelled fabulously aromatic and smoked extremely smooth.

The store stocks a wide range of edibles: not just your standard gummies and caramels, but also cream cakes, frostings, candies and cake pops.

Shop fittings with a wooden floor, a long wooden sales counter and leather armchairs in the cornerWelcome to Ember! (Courtesy of Ember)

Located in downtown Columbia Falls, Ember is one of the closest businesses to Glacier National Park. The shop is clean and professional, and offers a mix of in-house and third-party products.

The shop offers significant benefits to local veterans in particular: not only an all-day, daily 10% discount, but also a fund to help veterans get their medical marijuana cards.

I love their selection of flowers from Borealis Natural Gardens, which are available for $30 to $35 an eighth excluding tax. The nearby nursery borrows Korean natural farming techniques: they let praying mantises eat pests, grow their plants in rich, living soil that contains composted vegetation and bugs, and avoid pesticides. Her standout strains like Guava Mints Gelato and Cold Snap make as much impact as the methods used to grow them

When it comes to edibles, Ember boasts its own Firewatch chocolate brand: a pack of five squares, each containing 10 milligrams of THC, retails for $15 before tax. The store also sells cans of High Road Edibles’ ubiquitous low-dose gummies for $21 before tax.

long, low green-grey apothecary at sunsetWho needs fireworks? Montana Canna in Kalispell. (Courtesy of Montana Canna)

Located a few miles outside of Kalispell, Montana Canna has become a genetics nerd’s paradise. Housed in a small shop on a pretty, winding road, Montana Canna takes inspiration from classics like LA Kush Cake and a highly tested Blue Dream. But it’s their forays into more obscure strains — Violet Fog, Mellowz, RBC — that set them apart in the local market.

Owner Zach Block noted that the busy summer has taken away a lot of products from them, but a number of new strains — Sub-Zero, Apples and Bananas, Zelatti, and Red Dragon — will hit shelves in mid-July.

The store sells all of its deli-style flowers for $40/eight, including tax.

Other shops to try:

Man in white sweatshirt holding big jar with dark green nuggetsShot! It’s the Dawg Waltz from Lifted Meds in Kalispell (Max Savage Levenson for Leafly)

fruit factory

Around the corner from Ember in Columbia Falls (with additional locations in Kalispell and Libby), this sprawling shop offers impressive looking bud from a handful of growers from across Montana in one clean and cheery space.

garden mother

The new Kalispell store, the first outpost of the veteran and beloved Missoula institution Garden Mother, is known for great flowers and regular sales.

Increased medication

Well-stocked with a large selection of concentrates, Lifted Meds’ well-stocked Kalispell store offers efficient service at solid prices: Pre-packaged eighths sell for $25 excluding tax.

Max Savage Levenson

Max Savage Levenson probably has the lowest cannabis tolerance of any author on the cannabis beat. He also writes about music for Pitchfork, Bandcamp and other bespectacled people. He is the co-host of the Hash podcast. His dream interview is Tyler the Creator.

Check out Max Savage Levenson’s articles

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