Berkeley dispensaries must sit at least 600 feet from K-12 schools, day care centers, and youth centers under California Business and Professions Code section 26054 and Berkeley zoning rules.
California Business and Professions Code section 26054 sets a default 600-foot buffer between any licensed cannabis business and a K-12 school, day care center, or youth center, measured from the closest property lines. Berkeley Municipal Code Chapter 12.27 and the Berkeley Zoning Ordinance incorporate the state buffer and add their own siting standards, including limits on the total number of storefront retailers. Cities may shorten the buffer by ordinance, but Berkeley has kept the 600-foot minimum. Operators must provide buffer documentation with permit applications and recertify when nearby uses change.
Operating inside a buffer zone or misrepresenting distances can void a use permit, void a state license, and lead to closure orders from Berkeley zoning and the Department of Cannabis Control.
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley permits adult-use and medicinal cannabis dispensaries in specific commercial zones under BMC Chapter 12.27 and Title 23, with buffer distances from ...
Berkeley, CA
Berkeley pioneered medical cannabis licensing in 1979 and adopted a Cannabis Equity Program in 2017 prioritizing applicants harmed by the War on Drugs with r...
See how other cities in Alameda County handle buffer zones.
See how Berkeley's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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