Last verified: March 2026

How Montana's Green/Red System Works

Montana has one of the most distinctive local-option cannabis systems in the nation. When voters approved I-190 in November 2020, the results were tabulated county by county. The 28 counties that voted yes became green counties where recreational cannabis businesses could operate. The 28 counties that voted no became red counties where recreational sales are prohibited unless voters later opt in through a local ballot measure.

This system was codified through HB 701 (2021), which gave red counties the ability to hold elections to allow recreational sales, and SB 11 (2025), which modified the local ballot process. The result is a geographic patchwork that reflects Montana's political diversity.

Key Facts

What Green and Red Mean

Important: Personal possession and home cultivation are legal statewide, regardless of county color. The green/red distinction only affects where commercial recreational businesses can operate. You can legally possess cannabis in a red county — you just cannot buy recreational cannabis there.

The Outliers

Two counties broke the expected pattern:

• Granite County — The only green county to opt out of recreational sales. Despite voting yes on I-190, Granite County passed a local measure prohibiting recreational dispensaries.
• Dawson County — The only red county to opt in to recreational sales. Despite voting no on I-190, Dawson County later approved a local ballot measure allowing recreational businesses.

Notable City-Level Actions

Beyond the county system, individual cities have taken their own actions:

Billings — Banned Adult-Use

Billings, Montana's largest city, voted to ban adult-use dispensaries in November 2021, even though Yellowstone County later approved recreational sales countywide (55%, June 2022). Within Billings city limits, only 8 medical dispensaries operate, selected by lottery. This means Montana's largest city has extremely limited cannabis access for recreational users.

Great Falls — Zoned Out

Great Falls has effectively zoned out most cannabis businesses through restrictive land-use regulations, making it difficult for dispensaries to operate within city limits despite Cascade County being a green county.

Kalispell — Industrial Only

Kalispell restricted dispensaries to industrial zones, pushing cannabis retail away from the downtown core and main commercial areas. Visitors heading to Glacier typically shop in nearby Whitefish or Columbia Falls, which have far more dispensaries.

Why the 28/28 Split?

Montana's political geography created the split. Rural, eastern Montana counties generally voted against I-190, while western Montana and urban areas voted for it. The 28/28 divide is remarkably clean despite the statewide 57% approval, because the "no" counties tend to be sparsely populated rural areas while the "yes" counties contain the major population centers:

• Missoula County (green) — Missoula, University of Montana
• Gallatin County (green) — Bozeman, Montana State
• Flathead County (green) — Whitefish, Columbia Falls, Glacier gateway
• Lewis and Clark County (green) — Helena, state capital
• Silver Bow County (green) — Butte
• Yellowstone County (green) — Billings area (but city banned rec)

The Local Ballot Process (SB 11)

In 2025, the legislature passed SB 11, modifying the process by which red counties or municipalities can hold elections to opt in to recreational cannabis. The bill adjusted the signature requirements and election timing for local cannabis ballot measures, making it slightly easier for communities to put the question to voters.

What This Means for Visitors

Official Sources

• CARD Cannabis Program
• Title 16, Chapter 12 MCA