57 MEDICAL-MARIJUANA BUSINESSES IN BILLINGS

There are now 57 legal medical-marijuana businesses in Billings,
according to information from city officials.

Planning Director Candi Beaudry told the city's ad hoc
medical-marijuana committee Thursday that there are 23 businesses in
commercial zones, 22 home-based businesses and 12 that are located
outside the city but have a license to operate inside city limits. The
city can't do much to regulate businesses located outside city limits,
Beaudry said.

At one time, the city had issued more than 80 business licenses for
those involved in medical marijuana, but that number dwindled after
the City Council imposed a moratorium on new such businesses. Only
those businesses legally operating before the moratorium was passed
were allowed to stay open.

Businesses that didn't comply with the new moratorium were sent
letters asking them to close. Beaudry said that the city has checked
all known medical-marijuana businesses for compliance and is now
investigating businesses only after receiving a citizen complaint.