2011 Montana Code Annotated
TITLE 45. CRIMES
CHAPTER 9. DANGEROUS DRUGS
Part 1. Offenses Involving Dangerous Drugs
45-9-101. Criminal distribution of dangerous drugs.

45-9-101. Criminal distribution of dangerous drugs. (1) Except as provided in Title 50, chapter 46, a person commits the offense of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs if the person sells, barters, exchanges, gives away, or offers to sell, barter, exchange, or give away any dangerous drug, as defined in 50-32-101.
(2) A person convicted of criminal distribution of a narcotic drug, as defined in 50-32-101(18)(d), or an opiate, as defined in 50-32-101(19), shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of not less than 2 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(3) (a) A person convicted of criminal distribution of a dangerous drug included in Schedule I or Schedule II pursuant to 50-32-222 or 50-32-224, except marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol, who has a prior conviction for criminal distribution of such a drug shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of not less than 10 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(b) Upon a third or subsequent conviction for criminal distribution of such a drug, the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of not less than 20 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(c) The exception for marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol in subsection (3)(a) does not apply to synthetic cannabinoids listed as dangerous drugs in 50-32-222.
(4) A person convicted of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs not otherwise provided for in subsection (2), (3), or (5) shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of not less than 1 year or more than life or be fined an amount of not more than $50,000, or both.
(5) A person who was an adult at the time of distribution and who is convicted of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs to a minor shall be sentenced as follows:
(a) If convicted pursuant to subsection (2), the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for not less than 4 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(b) If convicted of the distribution of a dangerous drug included in Schedule I or Schedule II pursuant to 50-32-222 or 50-32-224 and if previously convicted of such a distribution, the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for not less than 20 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(c) If convicted of the distribution of a dangerous drug included in Schedule I or Schedule II pursuant to 50-32-222 or 50-32-224 and if previously convicted of two or more such distributions, the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for not less than 40 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(d) If convicted pursuant to subsection (4), the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for not less than 2 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
(6) Practitioners, as defined in 50-32-101, and agents under their supervision acting in the course of a professional practice are exempt from this section.

History: En. Sec. 4, Ch. 314, L. 1969; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 55, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 24, Ch. 412, L. 1973; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 258, L. 1974; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 359, L. 1977; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 584, L. 1977; R.C.M. 1947, 54-132; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 587, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 7, Ch. 198, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 583, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 393, L. 1983; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 3, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 478, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 575, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 448, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 432, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 87, Ch. 114, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 11, I.M. No. 148, approved Nov. 2, 2004; amd. Sec. 2, Ch. 156, L. 2011.