Montana marijuana sales saw a slight increase from September to October, though totals for both months were nearly the same.
There was $27,728,562 worth of marijuana sold legally in October, which includes marijuana products such as edibles and concentrates, according to data released by the Montana Department of Revenue. This is nearly identical to the $27,520,406 sold in September. The high this year was $29,716,881 sold in August.
There has now been around $280 million in legal marijuana sold so far this year, bringing all-time sales since January 2022 to $893,601,035.
In October, $24,067,033 of the marijuana sold was for recreational use, with medical marijuana patients generating $3,661,529 in sales.
October marks the 20th consecutive month that marijuana sales have surpassed $25 million.
Montana legalized recreational marijuana in 2021, with the first licensed retail outlets opening in January 2022. State laws permit individuals aged 21 and over to possess up to one ounce of marijuana. Recreational purchases are taxed at 20%, and medical purchases at 4%.
Marijuana tax revenue is distributed as follows:
- $6 million to the Healing and Ending Addiction through Recovery and Treatment (HEART) account
- 20% to Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to be used solely as funding for wildlife habitat
- 4% to the state park account
- 4% to the trails and recreational facilities account
- 4% to the nongame wildlife account
- 3% or $200,000, whichever is less, to the veterans and surviving spouses state special revenue account
- $150,000 to the board of crime control to fund crisis intervention team training for the biennium beginning July 1, 2021,
- $300,000 to the Department of Justice to administer grant funding to local and state law enforcement agencies for the purpose of purchasing and training drug detection canines and canine handlers, including canines owned by local law enforcement agencies to replace canines who were trained to detect marijuana
- The remainder to the general fund
