Missoula City Council considers new ordinance on cannabis dispensary pause

An ordinance to pause new business licenses for recreational marijuana dispensaries will be introduced in an effort to reduce kid's access to marijuana during Monday evening's Missoula City Council meeting.

There are currently there are 51 dispensaries in the city of Missoula, with eight pending applications.

Over the last year, members of the health department and the Missoula City Council have been discussing the alarming number of young people visiting the emergency room, going into rehab, and being poisoned from cannabis use.

Council member Gwen Jones, who put the ordinance forward, says that this pause on business licenses is a chance for the Missoula City Council to rework the zones where the dispensaries are located.

“A lot of information out there, and studies that have been done. The more dispensaries in a community, the more youth use," Jones said. "So having less dispensaries can still provide that service in Missoula but having it a little bit less visible — less in people's faces — probably is going to be better in the long run for a better environment. So our youth aren't using it."

The final hearing on the proposed ordinance will take place on July 8, 2024.

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