Montanans must activate to protect legalization in 2025

Montanans: It’s time to activate to protect your access to legal cannabis from being given away by Montana politicians to drug cartels.

Several new bills require you to raise your voice with your lawmakers, and let them know you oppose repealing the cannabis legalization that a 57% majority of Montana voters approved.

Follow this link to sign up for email notifications and tell state lawmakers ‘don’t tread on my cannabis rights.’ Share it widely.

There are nearly 100,000 cannabis consumers in Montana—it’s high time lawmakers thought twice about infringing on their rights.

Each year, Republican lawmakers try a host of measures to give the legal industry away to illicit market dealers including drug cartels. This year, the new bills include:

Cannabis flower regularly tests above 20%. Virtually every extract and vape would be banned. The bill—Senate Bill 443—might as well have been written by illegal vape peddlers who sell untested poison to children. Email your lawmaker with the subject headline ‘Oppose SB 443.’ In the body text, state that you are a voter in their district. Calls and texts are even better.

A different bill—SB255—would charge each recreational smoker $200 and make them register with the state. Very Orwellian. Email your lawmaker with the subject headline ‘Oppose SB 255.’ In the email body, state that you are a voter in their district. Calls and texts are even better.

The time is now. 

The 15% THC potency cap bill that gives the legal industry to the cartels—SB443—has just come out and will go to a committee hearing first. The first committee hearing is one of the best places to nip it in the bud. Email these members of the Business Labor and Economic Affairs committee.

The ‘government watch list of stoners’ bill—SB255—also just came out, and heads to a committee hearing on February 27. Flipping just a couple of committee members can kill this bill for this year. Email these members of the Business Labor and Economic Affairs committee.

A small cadre of Republican lawmakers opposed the 57% majority of Montanans that approved cannabis legalization. The list includes: the 25 co-sponsors on the drug cartel gift bill SB443. 

The ‘stoner watch list’ bill SB255 comes solely from state senator Greg Hertz. Sen. Hertz took political contributions from police and alcohol groups in 2024.

Because some politicians think they know better than the 57% of Montanans that approved adult-use legalization, and 62% that approved of medical cannabis. Even though they are ‘small government’ ‘personal freedom and responsibility’ Republicans—they’ve set aside those values. Some take money from police lobbies. Others take money from supporters of big government ‘nanny state’ paternalism.

Because they either don’t know or don’t care that restricting lawful access to taxed and regulated cannabis turns the industry over to street dealers that don’t test and don’t card. They believe America is better off with prohibition and the war on marijuana.

Sure. Montana voters, activists, and industry have already defeated one bad bill to limit free speech in the cannabis trade. House Bill 331 tried to gag cannabis operators from talking about marijuana in public. Lawmakers abandoned HB331 on February 6. It could likely return this session, and will surely return in 2027—so supporters must stay vigilant each year for bad bills such as these.

Protecting Montana’s legalization is easier than winning legalization. All voters have to do is get their lawmaker to abstain or skip a key committee vote, and politicians love to do nothing, experts note.

So get involved! We’ve found that cannabis is a gateway to all sorts of civic engagement. Once you know exactly who your representatives are, how to reach them, and see the results—speaking your mind can become habit-forming!

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