Montana regulators have a lot of work to do ahead of Jan. 1, 2022, the first day of adult-use cannabis sales in the state.

The Montana Department of Revenue is preparing its rules to regulate the adult-use cannabis market, and the agency released its first package of proposed regulations last week, according to a KTVH report.

“The deadlines are aggressive,” Kristan Barbour, administrator of the Department of Revenue’s Cannabis Control Division, told the news outlet. “Really, the rules are our biggest challenge.”

The first set of draft rules, released Oct. 22, include 15 sections that lay out the business licensing process and fees, establish cannabis labeling requirements, and set policies for “exit packaging,” the packaging that cannabis products must be placed in when sold to consumers at dispensaries.

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Barbour told KTVH that the department’s next set of rules, which are expected to be released as soon as this week, will cover inspections and enforcement.

The Department of Revenue will hold a public hearing on the first set of proposed regulations on Nov. 16 and will accept written comments on the draft rules through Nov. 29, KTVH reported. The department may then revise the rules based on the feedback received during the public comment period, and the rules are expected to take effect by the end of December.