Skip to main content
CityRuleLookup

Alhambra, CA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

School/park/daycare buffer
600 feet, parcel to parcel
Residential zone buffer
600 feet
Retailer-to-retailer spacing
1,000 feet
Zone where CUP possible
Industrial (I) only
Governing footnote
Table 23.06.020, Note 4

Summary

Alhambra bars a conditional use permit for its one allowed cannabis business, a medicinal delivery-only retailer, on any parcel within 600 feet of a school, park, licensed child daycare, youth center, drug or alcohol rehab facility, or a residential zone, and within 1,000 feet of another operating delivery-only retailer, per Note 4 to Table 23.06.020.

4. No CUP may be issued for a medicinal cannabis delivery-only retailer located on a parcel that is within 600 feet of any other parcel containing a school, park, licensed child daycare facility, youth center, a conditionally permitted use that provides services primarily to minors, or a licensed drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility, or a parcel that is within a residential zoning district. For purposes of this section, "school" includes a pre-school, transitional kindergarten, K-12 school, whether public or private. No CUP may be issued for a medicinal cannabis delivery-only retailer located on a parcel that is within 1,000 feet of any other parcel upon which a medicinal cannabis delivery-only retailer is operating.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-25: Supplement contains: Local legislation current through Ord. 4851, passed 10-27-25).

Full Breakdown

020, the land use table for Alhambra's Employment Zoning Districts (Professional Office and Industrial), lists the medicinal cannabis delivery-only retailer as conditionally permitted only in the Industrial district, flagged with footnote (4). That footnote sets the buffer standard: no conditional use permit may issue for a delivery-only retailer on a parcel within 600 feet of any other parcel containing a school, park, licensed child daycare facility, youth center, a conditionally permitted use that serves minors, or a licensed drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility, and 'school' is defined broadly to include pre-school, transitional kindergarten, and K-12, public or private.

The same footnote also bars a delivery-only retailer from sitting within 600 feet of any parcel in a residential zoning district, and separately bars two delivery-only retailers from locating within 1,000 feet of each other, preventing clustering. 080(D)(6)(d).

Violations & Fines

A conditional use permit cannot legally be granted for a site that falls inside the 600-foot sensitive-use buffer or the 1,000-foot retailer-spacing buffer; the Director of Community Development is required to deny the application at that stage. An operator that opens without a valid CUP and retailer permit is subject to suspension or termination by the City Manager and the citywide general penalty of § 1.12.010.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far must a cannabis retailer be from a school in Alhambra?
At least 600 feet from any parcel containing a school (including pre-school and transitional kindergarten), park, licensed child daycare, youth center, or licensed drug or alcohol rehabilitation facility, measured parcel to parcel, under Note 4 to Table 23.06.020.
Can two cannabis retailers operate near each other in Alhambra?
No. Note 4 to Table 23.06.020 bars a conditional use permit for a medicinal delivery-only retailer on any parcel within 1,000 feet of another parcel where a delivery-only retailer is already operating, on top of the separate 600-foot buffer from schools, parks, and residential zones that every site must also clear.
Does the buffer apply to residential neighborhoods too?
Yes. The same footnote prohibits a conditional use permit for a delivery-only retailer within 600 feet of any parcel located in a residential zoning district, in addition to the school, park, and daycare buffers, leaving very little Industrial-zoned land actually eligible.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Alhambra

All Alhambra rules

California rules heatmap·Compare Alhambra to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview

Get notified when Buffer Zones in Alhambra, CA changes

We'll email you the moment we detect a change in the code. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.

We'll never sell or share your email. One-click unsubscribe in every email.

See something wrong?

Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.

Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities

How other cities in Los Angeles County handle buffer zones.

Los Angeles, CA
Some Restrictions
Long Beach, CA
Some Restrictions
Santa Monica, CA
Some Restrictions
El Monte, CA
Significant Restrictions
Pasadena, CA
Significant Restrictions
Lancaster, CA
Significant Restrictions
Pomona, CA
Significant Restrictions