House Bill No. [insert bill number] aims to revise laws related to local government and marijuana dispensaries in Montana, specifically clarifying the authority of local governments to regulate recreational marijuana businesses. The bill amends Section 16-12-301 of the Montana Code Annotated (MCA) to establish that marijuana businesses cannot operate in counties where the majority of voters opposed Initiative Measure No. 190 in the November 2020 election unless they receive local approval for their business category. Additionally, the bill allows former medical marijuana licensees to continue operating under certain conditions, even if local jurisdictions do not take action on their applications.

The bill also introduces new provisions regarding local elections on marijuana business categories. It specifies that a county or municipality that has previously approved a category of marijuana business can later vote to prohibit it, provided that the ballot question is clearly stated. The proposed ballot language must indicate whether voters are for or against banning recreational marijuana dispensaries in their jurisdiction. Furthermore, the bill stipulates that any vote to overturn the approval of a marijuana business will take effect 90 days after the election. Overall, this legislation seeks to provide clarity and structure to the local governance of marijuana businesses in Montana.

Statutes affected:
LC Text: 16-12-301
HB0698_1(1): 16-12-301
HB0698_1(2): 16-12-301
HB0698_1(3): 16-12-301
HB0698_1(4): 16-12-301
HB0698_1(5): 16-12-301
HB0698_1: 16-12-301