Montana’s Adult-Use Cannabis Market Is Off and Running: Week in Review

Montana joined the ranks of active adult-use markets at the top of this month, opening several hundred dispensaries and quickly pulling in $1.5 million or so in cannabis sales.

“[Opening day] was very busy. Busier than expected,” Tanya Simonson, part owner of Herbaceous Inc. in Big Sky, told Lone Peak Lookout. "There's definitely a lot of tourists coming in but a lot of locals too... We were definitely back stocked with weed, and we went through a lot. It was a big day. We ran out of some product, some of our edibles.  

“Now that it kind of has opened up I feel like a stigma maybe has released just because people are like, ‘Oh, it’s legal.’ And now maybe [people are] not as nervous to even come into the store. Whereas before, when it was just medical, people were a little hesitant because there's such a stigma on cannabis.”

We’ve rounded up some of the key cannabis headlines from the week right here.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced during her Jan. 5 State of the State address that officials will create a $200 million fund to support social equity cannabis businesses. Read more Montana launched its adult-use cannabis program Jan. 1, and dispensaries sold more than $1.5 million in product during the first weekend of legal sales. Read more Iowa lawmakers unveiled a proposal Jan. 5 to place an adult-use cannabis legalization measure before voters on the state’s ballot. Read more South Dakota lawmakers will continue their debate on adult-use cannabis legalization and fine-tuning the state’s medical cannabis program when the 2022 legislative session starts Jan. 11. Read more Consumers stocked up on cannabis products during this past holiday season, as post-holiday sales data from Headset, LeafLink, Flowhub and others show increased sales in the weeks leading up to Christmas and New Year’s Day. Read more 

And elsewhere on the web, here are the stories we’ve been reading this week:

Marijuana Moment: Justin Strekal is out at NORML. Read more Syracuse.com: Reporter Sean Teehan profiles the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association. Read more BBC: The island of Jersey lands some extra scrutiny over its medical cannabis rules. Read more Washington Post: “Quebec will require people to show proof of coronavirus vaccination when entering government-run stores selling cannabis or alcohol.” Read more WTVA: “Three researchers at Ole Miss have been awarded a $1.37 million grant to study cannabis pain relief.” Read more ]]>