Boston Zoning Code Article 88 requires cannabis establishments to sit at least 500 feet from any K through 12 school, measured property line to property line, matching MGL Chapter 94G and Cannabis Control Commission rules.
Massachusetts MGL Chapter 94G Section 5 sets a default 500-foot buffer between any cannabis establishment and a public or private K-12 school, and lets municipalities set additional limits. Boston adopted Article 88 of the Boston Zoning Code, which keeps the 500-foot school buffer measured from property line to property line and adds Boston-specific siting standards including a 0.5-mile separation between dispensaries within the same neighborhood. The Boston Cannabis Board reviews each siting against these distances before issuing a Host Community Agreement, and the Cannabis Control Commission grants the final state license. Variances from the buffer require a zoning change rather than an administrative waiver.
Operating without verified buffer compliance can lead to denial or revocation of the BCB permit, loss of the Host Community Agreement, and CCC license suspension under 935 CMR 500.
Boston, MA
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Boston, MA
Boston regulates cannabis retail establishments through the Boston Cannabis Board (CBC Ord. §8-13) and zoning approval by the BPDA. Dispensaries must be at l...
See how Boston's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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