Senate Bill 255, which sought to require a state-issued identification card for recreational marijuana purchases in Montana, has officially died in the legislative process.
Montana State Capitol Building.
Sponsored by State Senator Greg Hertz (R), the bill would have required all adults 21 and older to obtain a marijuana identification card through the state Department of Revenue. The proposed process included a $200 application fee, proof of Montana residency, and the submission of personal information. The card would have been necessary to make any recreational marijuana purchases.
Although the measure was introduced in early February and referred to the Senate Business, Labor and Economic Affairs Committee, it missed the deadline for transmittal of revenue-related legislation and was later marked as “died in process” on May 23.
A public hearing had taken place in late February, but the bill was ultimately withdrawn before further action could be taken. With no rescheduled vote or committee advancement, the proposal will not move forward this session.
Montana voters approved recreational marijuana through a ballot initiative in 2020, with legal sales beginning in January 2022. Adults 21 and older can currently purchase and possess up to one ounce of marijuana without any special registration beyond a standard ID.
