Adult and medical use marijuana is regulated by the Cannabis Control Division (CCD or the department) and sold at licensed dispensaries to consumers.
Unregulated, or illegal marijuana, remains an unfortunate presence in the state of Montana. These illegal marijuana operations do not comply with the requirements that all marijuana and marijuana products sold to consumers must be tested by a licensed laboratory before they are allowed to be sold to consumers; their products are potentially hazardous.
However, there are steps that individuals can take to ensure that they are visiting a legitimate, licensed Montana marijuana dispensary to purchase and consume regulated marijuana.
Let’s look at some of the steps that the department recommends you follow to ensure that your visit to a dispensary in the state of Montana is to one that is licensed.
The department maintains a list of licensed marijuana dispensaries on our website and the department updates this list monthly.
The list will state the name of the dispensary, their city of location, their phone number, and indicates if that dispensary is only licensed to sell medical marijuana or if they are also permitted to sell adult-use marijuana and marijuana products to individuals that are 21 years of age and older.
Licensed Dispensary list
/download/83551/Updated Monthly—If the dispensary is not on this list, skip it!
All licensed marijuana premises are issued a site certificate by the department; the licensee must conspicuously display this certificate at their business location.
The certificate lists the premises name, address, license number, the date the certificate was issued, and the date that the certificate expires. Marijuana licensees must renew their licensees yearly.
Example Site Certificate
All licensed Montana dispensaries may only operate between the hours of 9:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. daily.
If you stop by an establishment claiming to be a licensed dispensary but operating before 9 a.m. or after 8 p.m.—skip it!
All licensed Montana dispensaries are required to have the following signage/notices clearly displayed at their location (verbatim):
- “Persons under twenty-one years of age not permitted on these premises without a valid registry identification card or valid worker permit. Registered cardholders under the age of 18 must be accompanied by a legal guardian.”
- “No on-site consumption of marijuana or marijuana products.”
- “No on-site opening of marijuana or marijuana products.”
Consumption of marijuana and marijuana products at a licensed dispensary premises is prohibited (and prohibited at any licensed premises).
Licensed dispensaries do not allow consumers to use or open marijuana and marijuana products on their site, as this could jeopardize their business license.
When you purchase marijuana and marijuana products from a licensed Montana dispensary, you are purchasing marijuana that has been tested, you have purchased marijuana that creates jobs across the state, and you have purchased marijuana that is taxed. These taxes help to fund state and local programs.