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Montana cannabis rules: what to know and how to check

In Montana, adults 21 and older can buy cannabis from dispensaries licensed by the Department of Revenue’s Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD). Adult-use sales are not allowed in every county. Check the dispensary on CARD’s list before you buy. Licensed products must be lab-tested and labeled, and CARD posts recall notices.

Checked against the Montana Department of Revenue’s Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) and Montana law on . Next review: .

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.

Official source

Montana’s cannabis regulator: Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD)

These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.

What’s different in Montana

Montana voters passed Initiative 190, which legalized adult-use marijuana, in November 2020. Licensed sales to adults 21 and older began on January 1, 2022. The Montana Department of Revenue's Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) licenses dispensaries, growers, makers, transporters and testing labs. It also runs the medical marijuana registry.

Where you live matters. In counties where most voters opposed Initiative 190, adult-use sales are not allowed unless local voters later vote to allow them. The department's county list shows 27 of 56 counties with no adult-use sales. Dispensaries there may sell only to medical cardholders. Any county or city can also hold a vote to allow or ban types of marijuana businesses.

Using marijuana in a public place or on public transportation is against state law. So is using it on school grounds or in a health care facility. Smoking in public can bring a civil fine of up to $50. In a car, keep dispensary products unopened in their original package, in the trunk or a locked glove box. Taking marijuana across state lines is prohibited, even medical marijuana.

Hemp products follow different rules. Unless the FDA has authorized it, a hemp product that contains total delta-9 THC can't be sold to consumers in Montana. Synthetic cannabinoid products, like delta-8 THC made in a lab, are banned. Dispensaries may not sell hemp flower or synthetic cannabinoids.

Licensed does not mean risk-free. Products are lab-tested before sale, and CARD has recalled licensed products, including some that were never tested.

Montana rules at a glance

These are the main state rules for adult-use cannabis. Counties and cities can add their own rules. Numbers in brackets link to the law or the regulator’s guidance.

Montana rules, with sources
Topic The rule Source
Minimum age 21 and older for adult use. Medical registry cardholders can be younger. A cardholder under 18 must come in with a parent or legal guardian and may not smoke marijuana. [1] MCA 16-12-108(1)(e)–(g); MCA 16-12-508(2)(b)(iii)(C); CARD dispensary signage rule (ARM 42.39.122)
How much you can have Adults 21 and older may have up to 1 ounce of usable marijuana. Of that, no more than 8 grams may be concentrate and no more than 800 mg of THC may be in edibles. Medical cardholders may have 1 ounce and buy up to 1 ounce a day and 5 ounces a month, unless the state allows more. [2] MCA 16-12-106(1)(a); MCA 16-12-515(1)
Growing at home Adults 21 and older may grow up to 2 mature plants and 2 seedlings at a private home. Medical cardholders may grow 4 mature plants and 4 seedlings. No more than twice those numbers per home. Plants must not be visible from a public place, and marijuana over 1 ounce must be kept locked. Renters need the owner's written permission. [2] MCA 16-12-106(1)(c), (2), (3); CARD "Know Before You Grow"
Delivery No delivery to adult-use customers. Licensed businesses may deliver from a dispensary only to registered medical cardholders, with a printed delivery manifest. Licensed transporters may not deliver to individual consumers. [3] MCA 16-12-222(4)(b), (7), (8)
Required lab tests Before sale, a licensed Montana testing lab must test every batch. Tests cover potency (cannabinoids), filth and foreign matter, heavy metals, pesticides, microbes such as Salmonella and Aspergillus, moisture, mycotoxins and residual solvents. The lab issues a certificate of analysis. [4] CARD "Legal is Legit", item 1; MCA 16-12-209(1)–(6)
Labels Labels must show the Montana marijuana symbol (at least 0.33 by 0.33 inch), a QR code that links to the product's lab results, the seed-to-sale ID number, the harvest or manufacture date, and the warnings "Keep out of reach of children and pets" and "This product may be addictive". Products you swallow must warn that effects may be delayed by two or more hours. [5] ARM 42.39.314–42.39.318, as explained on CARD's Labeling and Packaging page
Packaging Products must leave the store in a resealable, child-resistant, opaque exit package. It must carry four state health warnings and a QR code for help with marijuana addiction. Candy-style edibles may not be shaped or packaged in ways that appeal to children. [6] MCA 16-12-208(5), (6)(a); MCA 16-12-215(1), (2), (5); ARM 42.39.319
Edible THC limits Adult-use edibles may have up to 5 mg of THC per serving and 100 mg per package. Flower may not be over 35% total THC. Most other products are capped at 800 mg of THC per package. Medical cardholders may buy stronger products. [7] MCA 16-12-224(8)(b)–(d)
Poison control Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center (serves Montana): 1-800-222-1222 . Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing or won’t wake up. dphhs.mt.gov

Montana recalls

CARD posts recall notices for licensed products. CHSA doesn’t keep a live list of Montana recalls yet, so check CARD’s own list.

Keep the package. A recall notice lists the product and its batch or ID number, which you match against your label.

How Montana compares

Compare Montana with the other states CHSA covers.

Sources

  1. MCA 16-12-108: Limitations of act Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  2. MCA 16-12-106: Personal use and cultivation of marijuana; penalties Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  3. MCA 16-12-222: Licensing of marijuana transporters Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  4. Legal is Legit Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  5. Labeling and Packaging Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  6. MCA 16-12-208: Restrictions Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  7. MCA 16-12-224: Licensing of dispensaries Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  8. Cannabis Regulation Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  9. Cannabis Frequently Asked Questions Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  10. Licensed Dispensary Locations (October 2026) Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  11. MCA 16-12-301: Local government authority to regulate; opt-in requirement in certain counties Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  12. MCA 16-12-515: Legal protections; allowable amounts (medical) Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  13. Cardholder Information Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  14. MCA 16-12-508: Individuals with debilitating medical conditions; requirements; minors Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  15. Know Before You Grow Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  16. Know Before You Go: Personal Marijuana Possession on Montana's Roads Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  17. MCA 16-12-209: Testing of marijuana and marijuana products Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  18. MCA 16-12-215: Required warning labels and posters Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  19. 2025 Legislative Updates: New Cannabis Laws in Montana Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  20. Cannabis Product Recalls Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  21. Cannabis Hotline Reporting Form Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  22. MCA 50-31-239: Sale of hemp product containing THC to consumers prohibited Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  23. MCA 16-12-117: Synthetic cannabinoid products prohibited; restriction on sale of marijuana products Montana Legislature (Montana Code Annotated 2025) · Retrieved
  24. Synthetic Cannabinoids Montana Department of Revenue, Cannabis and Alcohol Regulation Division (CARD) · Retrieved
  25. Poison Control and Prevention Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) · Retrieved

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.