Auburn, WA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

59, layers state siting rules with tighter local buffers. 030(A), a state-licensed marijuana retailer must be sited at least one mile from another similarly authorized marijuana business anywhere in the city. Subsection (B) adds a residential buffer found nowhere in state rules: a marijuana retailer must sit a minimum of 1,320 feet from any property zoned and used for single-family or multifamily residential purposes. Subsection (C) layers on the separation distances from Chapter 314-55 WAC: 2,640 feet from an existing or capital-facilities-planned elementary or secondary school, public or private playgrounds (including those inside multifamily complexes), recreation centers, child care centers, public or private parks, and game arcades; and 1,320 feet from public trails, transit centers, religious institutions, public libraries, and any transit center or park-and-ride operated by a sovereign nation on trust or non-trust property.

Measurement runs as the shortest straight-line distance between property lines or right-of-way lines under subsection (D), not walking distance. 020 caps the citywide total at four licensed and permitted marijuana retail stores regardless of buffer compliance. 050. 060, but that status is voided by relocation and forfeited after six months of discontinued operation absent rebuttal evidence.