HELENA — Lewis and Clark County residents approved the local taxation of adult-use and medical marijuana Tuesday.
Unofficial results from the Secretary of State’s Office show 76% of voters approved the 3% local taxation of adult-use marijuana and 24% opposed, with 19,561 votes cast. A 3% local taxation of medical marijuana was also approved with 53% in favor and 47% opposed, with 18,379 votes cast.
The taxation will go into effect on October 1, 2022.
House Bill 701 passed by the 2021 Montana Legislature allows for the taxation of local marijuana sales by up to three percent. To do so, counties have to create a ballot issue where local voters will have the ultimate say.
Twelve Montana counties voted to add local taxation of marijuana during the 2022 primary election. Those counties include Lewis and Clark, Lake, Powell, Ravalli, Silver Bow, Gallatin, Blaine, Roosevelt, Richland, Rosebud, Bighorn and Carbon. Ravalli voters approved adult-use taxation, but rejected the taxation of medical marijuana.
Also on Tuesday, Granite County voters decided to ban marijuana dispensaries within the county. Yellowstone County voters rejected a ballot measure to ban all license types for adult-use marijuana.
