Dispensaries

• Applications for new dispensary licenses will be available starting 7/1/2023.
• Existing businesses may apply for additional dispensary locations.
• Businesses may have multiple license types including Cultivator, Manufacturer, Dispensary, and Transporter. There is no requirement to have multiple license types.
• Dispensaries may purchase marijuana or marijuana products from other licensed businesses.
• All sales to registered cardholders or adult-use consumers must be entered in the seed-to-sale tracking system.
• All employees must have a valid Worker Permit prior to starting work.
• Annual dispensary fees are $5,000 per location.
• Applications require a processing fee of 20% of the license fees.
• Application processing fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.

Cultivator

• Applications for new businesses to cultivate will be available starting 7/1/2023.
• Cultivators can apply to increase their tier by one tier in conjunction with their regular renewal by demonstrating compliance with 16-12-223 (1)(e), MCA.
• From 1/1/2022 until 7/1/2023 Cultivators may increase tier by more than one tier at a time up to Tier 5 in conjunction with their annual license renewal.
• All new cultivation sites are required to be indoor only.
• Cultivators may sell the marijuana they cultivate to other businesses or at their own licensed dispensary.
• All licensed marijuana facilities are subject to inspection by CCD inspectors.
• Businesses may have multiple license types including Cultivator, Manufacturer, Dispensary, and Transporter. There is no requirement to have multiple license types.
• Cultivators are allowed to transport their own product between licensed facilities.
• Cultivators may not sell directly to consumers for either medical or adult use. Sales to consumers may only occur at licensed dispensaries.
• All employees must have a valid Worker Permit prior to starting work.

Testing Lab

• All marijuana and marijuana products must pass testing before being sold in a dispensary to either a registered medical cardholder or adult-use consumer.
• Testing requirements are the same for both medical and adult-use marijuana and marijuana products.
• All employees must have a valid Worker Permit prior to starting work.
• Testing laboratories must employ a Scientific Director that meets statutory education and work experience requirements.
• Testing laboratories are licensed by the CCD in close coordination with the Department of Public Health and Human Services. DPHHS performs initial evaluation for application endorsement and subsequent facility inspections while CCD evaluates the application, compliance with general business requirements, processes annual licensing fees, and issues licenses.
  • Testing Lab License: $5,000
  • Storage Facility Endorsement: $1,000

Manufacturing

• Applications for new licenses to manufacture will be available starting 7/1/2023.
• Existing businesses may apply for additional manufacturing sites or tier increases.
• Manufacturing licenses are tiered according to how much concentrate is manufactured monthly.
• Manufacturing businesses that do not produce concentrate but perform other allowable activities that fall under the definition of manufacturing are licensed as a Tier 1.
• Businesses may have multiple license types including Cultivator, Manufacturer, Dispensary, and Transporter. There is no requirement to have multiple license types.
• Manufacturers may purchase marijuana from licensed businesses and may sell the products they manufacture to other licensed businesses.
• Manufacturers can transport their own product between licensed facilities.
• Manufacturers are not allowed to sell directly to medical or adult use consumers. Sales to consumers may only occur at licensed dispensaries.
• All employees must have a valid Worker Permit prior to starting work.

All fees are annual and are based on the amount of concentrate produced monthly. Manufacturers who do not produce concentrate may use the lowest tier.

Transporter

The Marijuana Transporter license was created by the 2021 Legislature through House Bill 701. The transporter license allows a business to transport marijuana and marijuana products between licensed marijuana business registered premises, including testing laboratories, or to medical registered cardholders. Transporters may not deliver to adult-use consumers.  

• Transporter licenses are only required for third party transportation.
  For example:
  A business with a valid cultivation license may transport their own product to another of their own licensed sites or to another licensed business. Dispensaries may deliver to registered cardholders without a transporter license. The transporter license allows other licensees (cultivators, manufacturers, dispensaries, laboratories) to contract the transportation.
• All marijuana transportation, except marijuana legally possessed by a registered cardholder or adult-use consumer, requires a valid transport manifest from the seed-to-sale tracking system.
• Transporters are not required to maintain a business physical location; however, without a physical location, they may not store any marijuana overnight and must complete all marijuana transfers the same day.
• All employees must have a valid Worker Permit prior to starting work.
  • Transporter licenses are valid for two years from date of issue.
  • Transporters may optionally apply for a storage facility endorsement. A storage facility endorsement allows the licensee to maintain a separate, off-site storage facility for the temporary storage of marijuana.
  • Applications require a processing fee of 20% of the license fees.
  • Application processing fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.
  • Transporter licenses are $10,000 for a two-year period.
  • Storage facility endorsement is $1,000 annually.
  • Applications require a processing fee of 20% of the license fees.
  • Application processing fees are non-refundable regardless of the outcome of the application.