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Sponsor seeks 5,000-population threshold for municipal marijuana votes; industry and small towns urge caution
Summary
House Bill 298 would require a minimum municipal population (the sponsor used 5,000 as a starting point) for a town to hold its own vote to allow recreational marijuana businesses. Proponents from small Granite County communities and prevention advocates supported the measure; cities, the Montana League of Cities and Towns, and the cannabis industry raised concerns about local control, economic impact and legal questions.
Representative Jedediah Hinkle told the committee House Bill 298 is intended to prevent a very small municipality from holding a local vote that would allow recreational marijuana businesses to operate in a county that previously voted against retail sales. Hinkle used Granite County and the town of Phillipsburg (population cited in testimony as 841) as an example where a small municipal vote could alter countywide access.
Hinkle said he placed 5,000 in the amended language as a starting point because other statute sections use 5,000 as a delineation; he…
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