BILLINGS — The Montana health department has issued temporary emergency rules for the state medical marijuana program.
On Friday, parts of Montana’s new medical marijuana program took effect as state regulators develop permanent regulations. The deadline to have the full regulatory framework in place is April 30, 2018.
The Billings Gazette reports that the emergency rules released Monday clarify how the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services will regulate possession limits, testing laboratories and manufacturers of marijuana concentrate during the transition period.
The temporary rules include allowing the health department to issue licenses to marijuana testing facilities on a temporary, case-by-case basis. This is so the facilities can begin to legally handle medical marijuana, though required testing doesn’t begin until 2018.
The emergency rules expire in 120 days.