Constitutional Initiative 118 and Initiative 190 will establish a commonsense approach to marijuana that helps veterans, improves public safety, and strengthens Montana’s economy.

These measures will:

• Permit adults 21 and older to consume and purchase marijuana from well-regulated, state-licensed businesses.
• Raise millions of dollars in new tax revenue from sales of non-medical marijuana to support veterans’ services, conservation programs, and long-term health care.
• Help veterans and others with serious health conditions who are unable to access medical marijuana due to federal restrictions.
• Allow existing medical marijuana providers and other businesses in Montana to expand and create new jobs.

I-190

• Legalizes the possession, use, and cultivation of limited amounts of marijuana for adults 21 and older.
• Directs the Montana Department of Revenue to license and regulate the cultivation, transportation, and sale of marijuana and marijuana-infused products and to inspect premises where marijuana is cultivated and sold.
• Requires licensed laboratories to test marijuana and marijuana-infused products for potency and contaminants.
• Establishes a 20% tax on non-medical marijuana. According to the state’s official fiscal statement, the measure will generate will generate about $48 million annually by 2025.
• Allocates 10.5% of the tax revenue to the state’s general fund, with the remainder dedicated to accounts for conservation programs, substance abuse treatment, veterans’ services, healthcare programs, and local governments where marijuana is sold.
• Allows an individual currently serving a sentence for a prior low-level marijuana offense to apply for resentencing or an expungement of the conviction.
• Prohibits advertising of marijuana and related products.
• Strictly regulates the packaging and labeling of marijuana products to prevent accidental ingestion and access by children.
• Requires that marijuana provider licenses only be issued to Montana residents.
• Permits localities to regulate, ban, or restrict marijuana businesses within their jurisdiction.

CI-118

• Amends the Montana Constitution to authorize the state to set 21 years of age as the minimum legal age for marijuana consumption.

Neither initiative would:

• Permit driving under the influence of marijuana;
• Force employers to accommodate marijuana use or impairment at the workplace; or
• Allow public consumption.

Regulating marijuana works!

• Eleven states have adopted laws to make marijuana legal for adults. None have been repealed, and polls of residents show support has only increased.
• Several major studies show that teen marijuana use and opioid overdose deaths decrease in states after passage of legalization policies.
• Legal marijuana businesses currently support 250,000 full-time American jobs.

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