New dispensaries in Missoula could be restricted for up to two years after the city council set three different laws for a final vote that would pause business licenses and add fines for people distributing marijuana to children.
The council advanced a resolution Wednesday to halt all new dispensary licenses within the city limits after July 8. That policy, if approved by council on June 24, would place a 180-day temporary ban on new cannabis shops.
The other two polices would create a more permanent, two-year moratorium on new dispensary licenses and establish local fines for selling or giving marijuana to a minor.
Both of those laws are set for a final debate by council on July 8. Ward 3 Councilor Gwen Jones sponsored the potential policies and said the restrictions are meant to limit youth cannabis use.
The Center for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior survey reported youth cannabis use in Missoula County increased from 20% in 2019 to 24.5% in 2021.
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Recreational marijuana has been legal in Montana since the start of 2021 after being approved by voters. In May 2024, Missoula County residents spent more than $3 million on