Bristol, CT Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Section 13-125(a) of the cannabis establishments article sets a 250-foot proximity buffer for cannabis businesses in the City of Bristol. A cannabis establishment that is not specified in the zoning regulations cannot be sited within 250 feet of any school, church, hospital, municipal park or municipal recreational facility. The code fixes exactly how that distance is measured: by the nearest straight line between the respective lot boundaries of the cannabis establishment's site and the protected use, rather than by a walking route or driving distance, which keeps the measurement predictable for anyone siting a location.

The 250-foot figure is notably shorter than the 1,000-foot buffer the city imposes on adult-oriented establishments under § 13-103, reflecting a narrower proximity restriction for cannabis retail than for adult entertainment. This buffer works alongside the zoning confinement in § 13-125(b), which separately restricts cannabis establishments to the BG, BD, BHC, I and IP zones, and the establishment cap in § 13-124(b), which limits hybrid retailers to two citywide; a site has to clear the zone restriction, the numeric cap and this 250-foot buffer together, then still obtain city council approval under § 13-126, before a cannabis business can lawfully open its doors in Bristol.