Annapolis, MD Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Spacing requirement
- One mile between dispensaries
- Zoning status
- Permitted use, subject to standards
- Extra permit condition
- On-site naloxone dispenser required
- Adopted
- Ord. No. O-6-22, July 2022
Summary
Annapolis requires medical cannabis dispensaries to sit at least one mile from any other licensed dispensary premises: a spacing rule between shops, not a buffer from schools or parks, under City Code § 21.64.405(A).
This use may not be located within a one mile radius of any other licensed premises of a licensed dispensary of medical cannabis.B.As a condition of receiving a City permit, medical cannabis dispensaries must provide an automated purchasing machine (APM) that shall dispense naloxone nasal spray (Narcan™) or any other formulation of naloxone approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as an emergency treatment for opioid overdose, with the type of APC and a location directed and specified by the City of Annapolis in consultation with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. (Ord. No. O-6-22, § I, 7-25-2022)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 2025 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
Annapolis Zoning Code § 21.64.405, adopted by Ordinance O-6-22 in July 2022, permits medical cannabis dispensaries as a 'P-Std' (permitted subject to standards) use in most business and mixed-use districts, but conditions that permission on a one-mile radius from any other licensed dispensary premises: a spacing cap on market concentration, not a proximity buffer from schools, parks, or residences. As a further permit condition, dispensaries must install an automated purchasing machine dispensing naloxone nasal spray, with the machine's type and location set by the City in consultation with the Anne Arundel County Department of Health. The zoning code carries no separate school- or park-distance standard for cannabis uses.
Violations & Fines
Siting or operating a dispensary that breaches the one-mile spacing standard is a zoning violation, subject to permit denial and enforcement by the Department of Planning and Zoning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Annapolis restrict cannabis dispensaries near schools or parks?
How close can two dispensaries be in Annapolis?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Annapolis
Compare Annapolis to another location·View the Maryland cannabis regulations overview
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