While Yellowstone County outside the city limits of Billings will allow the growing, manufacturing and sale of recreational marijuana, whether those activities will be permissible within the city will be determined by Billings’ voters in a ballot measure in November.
City Council members voted 6-3 this week to put the matter on the ballot, asking voters to weigh in on several questions. Their decision comes in direct contrast with the outcome of a tie vote that occurred on Aug. 3 between two county commissioners which meant a re-vote proposal failed. Commissioner John Ostlund said that while he was opposed to the recreational use and sale of the drug, the voters had spoken with the passage of the initiative last fall which placed the issue before the state legislature. He said he didn’t think it was right to call for a re-vote just because you don’t like the outcome. The commissioners did approve putting on the ballot a measure to tax the sale of marijuana in the county 3 percent. (Commissioner Denis Pitman was absent at the meeting.)
The state legislature passed HB 701 which would allow counties and municipalities to re-vote on the matter or to accept the results last fall of voters in their jurisdiction regarding the initiative. HB 701 allows the city to ask voters to vote on specific aspects of legalizing the marijuana industry. They will ask the voters to weigh in on whether to allow the cultivation of marijuana, the manufacturing marijuana-based goods, the dispensing of medical marijuana, the dispensing of recreational marijuana, dispensing both types of marijuana (recreational and medical), setting up testing facilities for marijuana, and/or the transportation of marijuana products.
The decisions about recreational marijuana are separate from the laws which regulate medical marijuana.
