Montana lawmakers may have the opportunity to study legalizing recreational marijuana in the next year or so.
Democratic Representative Mary Ann Dunwell of Helena says even if now isn’t the time to legalize, it may be the time for the state to look at the issue:
"I’m not sure it's the best thing for Montana. I just feel it’s an opportunity, given what’s going on all around us, it’s an opportunity to take a look at this," Dunwell says.
House Joint Resolution 35, heard Monday, would create a committee that would study how recreational legalization would be carried out in Montana.
They’d look at things like if liquor control should be a guide for marijuana control, how legalization has affected other states, and the pros and cons of it all. The findings would be reported to the next Montana Legislature.
According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, eight states and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of adult-use recreational marijuana, and 21 have it decriminalized.
Cole Grant is a reporter with the UM Legislative News Service, a partnership of the University of Montana School of Journalism, the Montana Broadcasters Association and the Greater Montana Foundation.