Missoula is considering new zoning restrictions on marijuana dispensaries due to concerns about youth drug use and the density of dispensaries. Currently, the city has a high number of dispensaries, but a recent proposal by the City Council aims to address this. The plan includes increasing the distance dispensaries must maintain from schools, churches, and other facilities.
Despite the proposal, existing dispensaries remain unaffected, and a state moratorium prevents new entries into the market. The City Council approved an amendment requiring dispensaries to be 1,000 feet from each other, as well as schools, churches, parks, and substance use centers. Additionally, dispensaries must be 250 feet from residentially zoned areas. City planning supervisor Cassie Tripard noted that 1,000 feet is approximately two downtown blocks.
The current rules mandate a 500-foot separation between dispensaries and specific sites. Dispensaries are presently allowed in business and industrial districts, with the updated code adding mixed-use zones and excluding residential zones. Council Member Gwen Jones supported the new buffers, citing concerns about youth marijuana use.
Health officials highlighted that local youth use marijuana more than state and national averages. Leah Fitch-Brody from public health expressed concern over the proximity of dispensaries to residential areas, as studies link closer distances to increased youth usage. The city once had about 60 dispensaries, but this number has reduced to 50. However, attrition has been slow.
Jones emphasized the importance of dispensary locations, acknowledging the necessity to draw boundaries. After recreational marijuana was legalized in 2020, concerns about dispensary concentration arose. Tripard stated that the city aims to distribute them better, rather than capping their numbers without sufficient market data.
The state requires dispensaries to be 500 feet from schools, childcare facilities, and churches. In 2021, Missoula implemented a 500-foot spacing rule, yet most businesses opened before it took effect, delaying its impact. Recreational sales expanded in 2022, with existing medical dispensaries exempt from new buffers.
The city plans to extend the two-year moratorium on new recreational dispensary licenses, set to end in August 2026. This pause, initiated after a public health presentation, allows for code adjustments. The statewide moratorium outlined in Senate Bill 27 remains until 2027, permitting existing businesses to relocate but not expand.
In Montana’s major cities, dispensary regulations differ. Billings bans recreational dispensaries and limits medical ones. Bozeman follows state buffer rules, while Great Falls confines dispensaries to industrial areas. Helena enforces a 500-foot buffer from public buildings and parks.
Missoula City Council members favor the increased buffers to reduce dispensaries over time. Council Member Amber Sherrill suggested that the current number is sufficient for legal purchases and market competition. The council will continue discussing the zoning code changes with a vote scheduled for Monday.
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