Missoula, Mont. — Missoula leaders extended a pause on new marijuana dispensary licenses, keeping the moratorium in place through the summer of 2027.
According to the city website, Missoula has one of the highest rates of marijuana dispensaries per capita in the country.
City council's latest move kept a temporary suspension that now aligns with Montana's statewide moratorium on new cannabis dispensary licenses that took effect last year.
Missoula first approved its local moratorium in 2024, in part to curb marijuana abuse. Stephen Ferguson, executive director of Crosswinds Recovery, said blocking more shops from opening at this point will not have much of an effect.
“It's not like there's going to be less people accessing marijuana because there's not five more stores. There's already dozens of stores. So, it seems like an interesting stance to me. What is this moratorium going to achieve? I'm trying to understand. Ideally it's just increasing the conversation,” said Ferguson.
The updated city legislation now allows dispensaries with existing licenses to move to new locations. That change came as new zoning rules were set to take effect that would not allow a dispensary within 1,000 feet of a church or school.
The Missoula City Council will hold a public hearing on the moratorium on July seventh.
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