Dallas County, TX Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer rule
- None in TX or county
- CUP sites
- Three statewide; no buffer
- CBD retailers
- Standard commercial zoning only
- Authority
- TX H&S Code Ch. 487
- Severity
- Permissive: no rule exists
Summary
Dallas County has no recreational cannabis dispensary buffer-zone rules because Texas does not allow recreational dispensaries. Compassionate Use Program (CUP) sites face no state-mandated school or daycare buffer; CBD-only retailers operate under standard commercial zoning with no buffer mandate.
Sec. 481.134. DRUG-FREE ZONES. ... (b) An offense otherwise punishable as a state jail felony under Section 481.112, 481.1121, 481.1123, 481.113, 481.114, or 481.120 is punishable as a felony of the third degree, an offense otherwise punishable as a felony of the third degree under any of those sections is punishable as a felony of the second degree ... if it is shown at the punishment phase of the trial of the offense that the offense was committed: (1) in, on, or within 1,000 feet of premises owned, rented, or leased by an institution of higher learning, the premises of a public or private youth center, or a playground; (2) in, on, or within 300 feet of the premises of a public swimming pool or video arcade facility ...
Full Breakdown
Cannabis buffer zones in legalization states typically require dispensaries to sit 500 to 1,000 feet from schools, daycares, churches, or parks. Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 487 governing the Compassionate Use Program does not impose statewide sensitive-use buffers on the three licensed dispensing organizations, since they operate as low-volume medical providers. Dallas County in unincorporated areas relies on city ETJ rules and TX Local Government Code Chapter 232 plat authority, neither of which addresses cannabis-specific buffers. With no recreational dispensary framework legal in Texas, the Dallas County Commissioners Court cannot adopt buffer rules for storefronts that do not exist. CBD retailers selling hemp products under TX Agriculture Code Chapter 122 face standard commercial zoning rules.
Violations & Fines
Not applicable. Without recreational dispensaries, no buffer-zone enforcement mechanism exists. CBD retailers face standard zoning enforcement under city codes within incorporated areas; unincorporated retail is rare in this densely incorporated county.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a dispensary be from a Dallas County school?
Do CBD shops in unincorporated Dallas County have buffer zones?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Dallas County
Texas rules heatmap·Compare Dallas County to another location·View the Texas cannabis regulations overview
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