The move could protect legacy marijuana providers in Montana from an oversaturated market and simultaneously meet conservative legislators concerns of dispensaries overtaking main streets across the state.
Gallatin County voters approved a sales tax on marijuana, but an administrative error caused that election to be nullified. Gallatin County Commissioners hoped to use the revenue for mental health.
No tribal governments in Montana have so far applied for the licenses; lawmakers have said that s likely because entering the bureaucratic fray would not be worth the relatively small profits.
Roosevelt County has already earmarked its new tax revenue stream for public safety. "It s one of our most important departments but also one of our most expensive," a commissioner said.