It was -16 ° C on January 1 in the state of Montana. Despite the polar cold in this mountainous region of the northern United States, legal sales of cannabis have officially started. Anyone 21 and over will be able to purchase up to 28 grams of the flower, limited to 35% THC. Consumers will also be able to purchase up to 8 grams of concentrate. At home, they can grow two mature cannabis plants, and two young plants.
” It’s crazy, we already had people queuing an hour before opening! People call me since 6 a.m., enthuses a dispensary boss met by a journalist from Leafly. There has been a line of 20 people since 9am, and it hasn’t stopped since. “
A high tax of 20% will apply to each sale. Communities may also add a 3% supplement. These revenues will be used to fill the coffers of the provincial state. For example, Yellowstone County – famous for its natural park – expects $ 60,000 in annual revenue from one million tourists. Overall the state expects to exceed $ 1 billion in tax revenue.
“Green” counties which authorize, “red” which ban
Montana will now be separated into two colors: green and red. There is indeed a specificity in legalization: it does not apply everywhere. Montana residents will only be able to purchase cannabis in counties where a majority of voters have voted for Proposal I-190, legalizing recreational cannabis. This map from local TV MTN News provides an update:
About half of the counties voted in favor, the other half said “no”. But green communities represent more than 80% of the population. The more rural, outlying, and therefore more conservative counties voted against I-190.
But this map is not immutable: a “red” county can turn green. To do so, a citizen must circulate a petition; it will have to collect enough votes to trigger a vote in the local assembly. And this is also possible in the reverse direction. If a Green County wants to ban cannabis sales, it will just have to put in place a vote and then garner a majority. This will be the case in June, in Yellowstone County.
