Dispensaries in Great Falls, MT, operate inside city limits today, but the city did not get there willingly. Great Falls spent the first year of adult-use sales trying to keep storefronts out, lost in district court in the fall of 2022, and then watched its own voters reject a ban that November. The Department of Revenue's current list now shows 21 licensed adult-use locations with a Great Falls address, plus one more across the river in Black Eagle. For adults 21+, buying here is now routine.

How Great Falls went from ban to storefronts

Cascade County voted for legalization in 2020, roughly 55% to 45%. Under the 2021 law that set up Montana's market, local governments could only ban dispensaries in counties where most voters had said no. Great Falls leaned on a 2010 land-use ordinance anyway.

Janelle and Dale Yatsko, owners of Green Creek Dispensary in Gibson Flats south of town, sued in June 2022 after the city refused paperwork for a new location inside city limits. In October 2022, District Judge David Grubich ruled that the statute does not let a city regulate marijuana businesses out of existence and ordered the application processed. Weeks later, on November 8, 2022, the city put the question to voters directly. They narrowly rejected the ban.

The short version: Great Falls is a green city in a green county, and the storefronts are here to stay unless voters change that.

Who is on the list

Every Great Falls location on the state list is licensed for adult use. Names include 15th Street Dispensary, Greenhill Dispensary and Montana Dispensary, all under the same licensee; Green Creek, the shop that brought the lawsuit; Lionheart Cannabis; Frosteez; Great Northern Dispensary; and Top Shelf Botanicals. Elevated has a location listed in Black Eagle.

A list is not a ranking. Prices, menus and hours vary, and the full set of local shops is in the dispensary directory and on the Great Falls town hub. License status is public through the Department of Revenue at revenue.mt.gov/card/cannabis/.

What adults 21+ can buy

The rule, plainly: up to 1 ounce of usable marijuana, with no more than 8 grams of concentrate and no more than 800 mg of THC in edibles counted inside that total.

What it means at the counter:

• Visitors buy adult-use. Montana issues medical registry cards to Montana residents, so an out-of-state card does not open a medical counter here.
• Edibles are smaller per serving now. Since July 1, 2026, a serving is capped at 5 mg of THC and a package at 100 mg. Start low, go slow.
• Bring ID. Sales are 21+ only.

The Cascade County tax

Cascade County adopted the full 3% local option tax in February 2023, on both adult-use and medical sales. Stacked on Montana's 20% adult-use rate, a Great Falls purchase carries 23% in tax. Medical sales run 4% state plus 3% county. The tax is figured on the price after discounts.

Where the 3% goes is set by state law: half stays with the county, 45% is split among the cities and towns by population share, and the Department of Revenue keeps 5% for administration. Great Falls, as the county's largest city, takes the biggest municipal slice. The statewide ceiling on the local option is 3%, so Cascade County is already at the maximum.

Where the rules tighten in Great Falls

Montana law prohibits cannabis use in public places. Great Falls adds two specifics worth knowing.

Malmstrom Air Force Base. The base sits just east of the city, and it is federal property. Cannabis is prohibited under federal law on all federal lands and waters, and a military installation is about as federal as land gets. Anyone with base access, whether a visitor, contractor or family member, should treat the gate as a hard stop.

The river and the parks. The Missouri River frontage, the city parks and the trail system are public places. So are downtown sidewalks and anything on the events calendar that happens outdoors.

Hotels and vehicles. State law prohibits smoking marijuana in a hotel or motel room unless the room is a designated smoking room. Consumption by a driver or passenger in a moving vehicle is illegal, and driving under the influence is a DUI.

Shopping from a county without stores

Some Montana counties prohibit adult-use sales; the Department of Revenue marks them as red counties. County status decides whether there is a storefront, not whether adults 21+ may possess cannabis within the state limits. The federal-land rule and the public-place rule apply everywhere, red county or green.

FAQ

Are there recreational dispensaries in Great Falls, MT?

Yes. The state's current list shows 21 adult-use locations with a Great Falls address and one in Black Eagle. Adults 21+ with valid ID can buy.

Did Great Falls ban dispensaries?

The city tried. A district judge ruled against its ordinance in October 2022, and voters narrowly rejected a ban on marijuana businesses on November 8, 2022.

What is the cannabis tax in Great Falls?

23% on adult-use purchases: Montana's 20% plus Cascade County's 3% local option. Medical purchases carry 4% state plus 3% county.

Can you bring cannabis onto Malmstrom Air Force Base?

No. Malmstrom is federal property, and cannabis is prohibited under federal law on all federal lands.

How much can you buy at a Great Falls dispensary?

Up to 1 ounce, with sub-limits of 8 grams of concentrate and 800 mg of THC in edibles.