Work is underway to whittle down a handful of legislative proposals to regulate Montana’s impending recreational marijuana program.
A special Senate panel is meeting daily this week to consider several marijuana regulation and tax policy frameworks passed by the House, with the intention to arrive at one comprehensive proposal by Monday.
Hamilton Republican Sen. Jason Ellsworth, the committee chair, said each bill has individual ideas that may factor into the regulations lawmakers ultimately pass.
“There, I think, are good things in all these bills. So I’m going to be writing a list down of the things I see that should be in whatever bill that we end up putting through," Ellsworth said.
The committee has tabled one of three regulatory frameworks forwarded by the other chamber. House Bill 707 from Missoula Republican Rep. Brad Tschida would tax recreational marijuana products on wholesale rather than retail sales.
Kevin Trevellyan is Yellowstone Public Radio's Report for America statehouse reporter.
