Illinois CRTA bars adult-use dispensaries within 1,500 feet of another dispensary, and Cook County Code Ch. 102 zoning amendments add 1,500-foot buffers from K-12 schools, daycares, and residential zones for cannabis retailers in unincorporated areas, measured property line to property line.
The Cannabis Regulation and Tax Act sets a statewide 1,500-foot dispensary-to-dispensary buffer and authorizes municipalities and counties to add their own sensitive-use buffers. Cook County's Ch. 102 cannabis zoning amendments require dispensaries in unincorporated areas to sit at least 1,500 feet from K-12 schools, licensed daycare centers, and residentially zoned property, plus 250 feet from public parks. The Cook County Department of Building and Zoning verifies buffer compliance during the special-use permit review by the Zoning Board of Appeals before any state license can attach to the location. Pre-existing dispensaries are generally grandfathered if a sensitive use opens later.
Operating inside a buffer voids the special-use permit, blocks state license issuance by IDFPR, and exposes operators to Ch. 102 zoning enforcement, daily fines, and abatement actions through the Cook County State's Attorney.
See how Arlington Heights's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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