45-9-110. Criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs. - Montana Statutes

     45-9-110. Criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs. (1) Except as provided in Title 50, chapter 46, a person commits the offense of criminal production or manufacture of dangerous drugs if the person knowingly or purposely produces, manufactures, prepares, cultivates, compounds, or processes a dangerous drug, as defined in 50-32-101.
     (2) A person convicted of criminal production or manufacture 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 5 years or more than life and may be fined not more than $50,000, except as provided in 46-18-222.
     (3) A person convicted of criminal production or manufacture of a dangerous drug included in Schedule I of 50-32-222 or Schedule II of 50-32-224, except marijuana or tetrahydrocannabinol, who has a prior conviction that has become final for criminal production or manufacture of a Schedule I or Schedule II drug 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. Upon a third or subsequent conviction that has become final for criminal production or manufacture of a Schedule I or Schedule II drug, the person shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term of 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.
     (4) A person convicted of criminal production or manufacture of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol, or a dangerous drug not referred to in subsections (2) and (3) shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed 10 years and may be fined not more than $50,000, except that if the dangerous drug is marijuana and the total weight is more than a pound or the number of plants is more than 30, 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. "Weight" means the weight of the dry plant and includes the leaves and stem structure but does not include the root structure. A person convicted under this subsection who has a prior conviction that has become final for criminal production or manufacture of a drug under this subsection shall be imprisoned in the state prison for a term not to exceed twice that authorized for a first offense under this subsection and may be fined not more than $100,000.
     (5) 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. 1, Ch. 448, L. 1993; amd. Sec. 90, Ch. 114, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 14, I.M. No. 148, approved Nov. 2, 2004.