Columbia, MO Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 500 feet
- Protected uses
- School, day care, church
- Applies to
- All marijuana facility types
- State rule referenced
- 19 CSR 30-95 definitions
Summary
Columbia, Missouri bars marijuana facilities within 500 feet of a school, day care center, or church.
No marijuana facility shall be located within five hundred (500) feet of an existing public or private elementary or secondary school, child day care center, or church as those terms are defined in the Rules of the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services as contained in the Code of State Regulations Title 19 CSR Division 30 Chapter 95.
(2) The number of total combined medical marijuana dispensary facilities and comprehensive marijuana dispensary facilities located within the city limits shall be limited to one (1) per twenty thousand (20,000) population, or fraction thereof, as established by the most recent U.S. Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program (PEP).
(3) No single tenant space may be occupied by multiple marijuana facility types. Each marijuana facility shall only be permitted to operate according to its definition and licensure.
(4) Medical marijuana dispensary facilities, microbusiness marijuana dispensary facilities, and comprehensive marijuana dispensary facilities may be located within a multi-tenant retail-commercial building provided such facilities are separated from other tenants by full walls separating each tenant space.
(5) Hours of operation for all marijuana dispensary facilities shall be between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 p.m., irrespective of what zoning district such facility may be located within.
(6) All marijuana facilities shall be within a fully enclosed building unless otherwise authorized by this chapter.
(7)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 138).
Full Breakdown
Under Columbia, Missouri's Unified Development Code, no marijuana facility of any type (cultivation, dispensary, manufacturing, microbusiness, or testing) may locate within 500 feet of an existing public or private elementary or secondary school, child day care center, or church, using the definitions in the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services rules at 19 CSR Division 30, Chapter 95. This buffer applies citywide in Boone County's county-seat city regardless of the underlying zoning district.
Violations & Fines
Siting a marijuana facility inside the 500-foot buffer, or operating without the required City business license and state licensure, violates § 29-3.3(qq) and can block or revoke the city business license under § 29-3.3(qq)(15).
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a marijuana dispensary be from a school in Columbia, Missouri?
Does the buffer apply to churches too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbia
Compare Columbia to another location·View the Missouri cannabis regulations overview
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