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Marijuana dispensaries affected by legislative vote

Posted at 10:26 PM, Nov 04, 2020
and last updated 2020-11-05 11:28:48-05

MISSOULA — Montana voters gave their clear backing to marijuana legalization during Tuesday night's election.

And while some local medical marijuana dispensaries are on board, others are not.

Medical marijuana dispensaries are reacting to legislation passed Tuesday that would legalize recreational marijuana in the state. Some think that it would allow more access to treat conditions that aren’t currently on Montana’s list of conditions.

"I think it will be good for access for people who cant get medicine right now. Potential patients that come in all the time asking if depression, anxiety, sleep disorders are on that list of qualifying conditions," said Zen Medicine co-owner, Brian Porter.

Medical marijuana isn’t for everyone, but for some it’s a last resort.

"For some, marijuana is a last chance. We have a lot of people who have came in and resolved their issues from it and are now current patients. They are getting away from medications that mess with them," said Porter.

Although the initiative overwhelmingly passed, some current medical marijuana dispensary owners say the current plan will hurt current dispensaries and patients.

"The products that medical patients rely on are going to be harder to come by," said Starrbuds owner, Glenn Broughton.

Opinions on legalizing recreational marijuana differ between shop owners but now it is approved, and one thing everyone can agree on? There is still a lot that has to be done before you can purchase recreational marijuana in Montana.

Despite recreational marijuana being approved, Montana lawmakers still have the opportunity to make changes to the new statute.