# Montana SB 27: Generally revise marijuana licensing laws Montana SB 27, Generally revise marijuana licensing laws, is a 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) Senate bill sponsored by Kenneth Bogner (Republican); status signed, last action 2025-05-08 (Chapter Number Assigned) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB27-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Montana SB 27 - State: Montana - Session: 69th Legislature, Regular Session (2025) - Title: Generally revise marijuana licensing laws - Status: signed - Chamber: Senate - Introduced: 2024-12-10 - Last action: 2025-05-08, Chapter Number Assigned - Sponsor: Kenneth Bogner (Republican) - Cosponsors: 1 - Subjects: Alcohol - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 5 (295 yes, 53 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 13 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Faster safety enforcement for marijuana industry: benefit, medium. The department can suspend or change a license immediately when there is an urgent threat to health or safety and can set rules to secure or dispose of inventory. The department must train staff and inspectors so rules are enforced the same way statewide. Inspectors cannot be hired if they worked f… - Dispensary sales and shared-location rules: benefit, low. Adult‑use dispensaries may sell marijuana, products, and live plants to the public and to registered cardholders. If the same person owns both, adult‑use and medical dispensaries may share one location. The department may not forbid co‑location when you follow the law. Each new or renewal dispensar… - Probationary licenses for testing labs: benefit, low. Testing labs can get a probationary license if they finished the ISO application and have no pending corrective actions. The probationary license lasts 180 days and can be renewed once. If you close voluntarily after receiving a probationary license, you cannot get another probationary license for… - What marijuana license types are offered: benefit, low. The state issues licenses for cultivators, manufacturers, adult‑use or medical dispensaries, testing labs, transporters, and combined‑use operations. The department may add license types, subtypes, endorsements, and limits. - Local votes control marijuana businesses: cost, medium. In counties that voted against Initiative 190, a marijuana business cannot open until voters or local leaders approve that license type and the state issues the license. Local voters can petition for an election, and the vote must follow state election rules; large towns in a county are counted sep… - License fees and faster processing timelines: mixed, high. Cultivator license fees by tier range from $1,000 (micro) to $37,000 (tier 12). Dispensaries pay $5,000 for the first location plus $5,000 for each extra location at application and renewal. Licenses renew each year. The department may set an initial term up to 23 months to stagger renewals and pro… - Tighter product limits for buyers and shops: mixed, medium. The law caps THC and package sizes for sales, by product type. Flower is limited to 1 ounce per package and 35% THC; edibles to 100 mg THC per product and 10 mg per serving (10% leeway). Capsules, tinctures, suppositories, patches, and other products are capped at 800 mg THC per package; topicals a… - Indoor grow tiers and rules for cultivators: mixed, medium. Cultivation must be indoors. Former medical growers who farmed outdoors before Nov 3, 2020 may keep growing outdoors. Licenses use canopy tiers, from micro (up to 250 sq ft) to tier 12 (up to 50,000 sq ft at up to nine indoor sites). The department can create new tiers. New businesses licensed afte… - Inspections, records, and enforcement rules: mixed, medium. The department inspects each licensed site at least once a year and limits surprise visits to two per year unless there was a citation or other good cause. Inspectors may take product samples for lab testing. Licensees and labs must keep complete sales and testing records for inspection. The depart… - Local approval and elections for marijuana businesses: mixed, medium. In counties that voted against Initiative 190, cultivators, manufacturers, dispensaries, testing labs, combined‑use, and transporter facilities must get local approval. Counties that voted for Initiative 190 do not need this extra step. Former medical licensees in good standing may keep operating a… - When new licenses and locations open: mixed, medium. From July 1, 2025 to June 30, 2027, the state does not approve new licensed premises. Applications must relate to an existing site, and moves of an existing site are allowed. Beginning July 1, 2027, the state accepts applications from new applicants and for premises not previously licensed. - Stronger privacy and license transparency: mixed, low. You only need to show a government ID. If a store scans your license, it may use the scan only to check age, cannot sell or share the data, and must delete it within 180 days unless another law allows keeping it. The state posts licensee names, phone numbers, the city/town/county, and controlling o… - Selling businesses and ownership change rules: mixed, low. You may sell your marijuana business, including live plants and inventory, to a buyer who already holds a license. The department may issue a temporary license to the buyer to help the transfer. Any deal that makes someone a controlling owner requires written notice to the department and a finding… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Kenneth Bogner (Republican), Senate - Cosponsor: Kerri Seekins-Crowe (Republican), House ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-04-11 | House | Do Concur | pass | 82 | 16 | | | 2025-03-26 | House | Do Concur | pass | 77 | 23 | | | 2025-02-18 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 47 | 3 | | | 2025-02-15 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 47 | 3 | | | 2025-02-04 | Senate | Do Pass | pass | 42 | 8 | | ## Actions (37) - 2025-05-08: Chapter Number Assigned (Senate) - 2025-05-05: Signed by Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Transmitted to Governor (Senate) - 2025-04-25: Signed by Speaker (House) - 2025-04-21: Signed by President (Senate) - 2025-04-12: Returned from Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-11: Sent to Enrolling (Senate) - 2025-04-10: Committee Report (House) - 2025-04-09: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-04-09: Taken from Table in Committee (House) - 2025-04-08: Taken from Table in Committee (House) - 2025-04-08: Tabled in Committee (House) - 2025-03-26: Hearing (House) - 2025-03-26: Rereferred to Committee (House) - 2025-03-26: 2nd Reading (House) - 2025-03-21: Committee Report (House) - 2025-03-21: Committee Executive Action (House) - 2025-03-13: Hearing (House) - 2025-02-19: 1st Reading (House) - 2025-02-19: Referred to Committee (House) - 2025-02-18: Transmitted to House (Senate) - 2025-02-18: 3rd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-15: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-02-12: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-02-07: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-02-04: Rereferred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-02-04: 2nd Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Committee Report (Senate) - 2025-01-31: Committee Executive Action (Senate) - 2025-01-24: Hearing (Senate) - 2025-01-08: Fiscal Note Printed (Senate) - 2025-01-07: Referred to Committee (Senate) - 2025-01-06: 1st Reading (Senate) - 2025-01-03: Fiscal Note Received (Senate) - 2024-12-18: Fiscal Note Requested (Senate) - 2024-12-10: Introduced (Senate) ## Bill text - Enrolled, 2025-04-15: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a3b7b65-e4ff-4d4d-a78b-fe950b2bc1eb) - As Amended (Version 2), 2025-02-12: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e2e3b76b-5c40-404c-9b65-a01be5a9b87f) - Introduced, 2024-12-10: [PDF](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1810c503-bd50-49c7-bfc1-15b79cde55e7) ## Related bills - SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law (signed) - HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit (vetoed) - HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws (vetoed) - SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act (vetoed) - SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program (vetoed) - SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer (vetoed) ## Sources - [Enrolled (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=2a3b7b65-e4ff-4d4d-a78b-fe950b2bc1eb) - [As Amended (Version 2) (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=e2e3b76b-5c40-404c-9b65-a01be5a9b87f) - [Introduced (PDF)](https://docs.legmt.gov/download-ticket?ticketId=1810c503-bd50-49c7-bfc1-15b79cde55e7) ## Related - [SB 437: Revise definition of sex in Montana law](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB437-2025) - [HB 831: Increase elderly homeowner and renter income tax credit](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB831-2025) - [HB 628: Revise early literacy targeted intervention laws](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-HB628-2025) - [SB 410: Provide for Montana genomic security act](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB410-2025) - [SB 424: Revising the disabled veteran property tax assistance program](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB424-2025) - [SB 422: Generally revise laws relating to insurance coverage relating to cancer](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB422-2025) - [Montana bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana/bills) - [Montana state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/montana) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MT-SB27-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).