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Glendale, AZ Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Marijuana facility spacing
5,280 ft from each other
Residential buffer
1,320 ft (500 ft for dispensaries)
School buffer
1,320 feet from any school
Dispensary size cap
6,000 gross square feet
Dispensary hours
8 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Testing facilities
Banned citywide

Summary

Glendale's zoning code keeps every marijuana dispensary, cultivation site and manufacturing facility at least 1,320 feet from homes and schools, 5,280 feet from any other marijuana facility, and bars any of them from sharing a wall with a child care center.

T.Marijuana Facilities...2.Marijuana Establishment. Marijuana Establishment shall be permitted only in the General Office (G-O), General Commercial (C-2), and Heavy Commercial (C-3) zoning districts, subject to the following conditions and limitations:...d.Shall not be located within five thousand two hundred eighty (5,280) feet of any other Marijuana Dispensary, Marijuana Dispensary Offsite Cultivation Location, Marijuana Establishment, Marijuana Manufacturing Facility, or Marijuana Designated Caregiver Cultivation Location...e.Shall not be located within one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet of a residentially zoned property...f.Shall not be located within one thousand three hundred twenty (1,320) feet of an elementary, secondary or high school...g.Shall not share a common wall with a Child Care Center.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 115).

Full Breakdown

103(T) implements the Arizona Medical Marijuana Act and the Smart and Safe Arizona Act inside Glendale's zoning code by limiting where marijuana businesses can locate and how far apart they must sit. A Marijuana Establishment (cultivation) or Marijuana Dispensary is permitted only in the General Office, General Commercial and Heavy Commercial zoning districts, while Marijuana Dispensary Offsite Cultivation Locations and Marijuana Manufacturing Facilities are confined to the Light and Heavy Industrial districts. Every category must sit at least 5,280 feet, one mile, from any other marijuana dispensary, offsite cultivation location, establishment, manufacturing facility or designated caregiver cultivation location, measured wall to wall.

Cultivation, manufacturing and establishment uses must also stay at least 1,320 feet from residentially zoned property and 1,320 feet from any elementary, secondary or high school, measured in a straight line from the building's exterior wall to the protected property line. m. ' Marijuana Establishments may also need a survey showing the location of the nearest existing dispensary or cultivation site if one sits within 10,560 feet.

Violations & Fines

Operating a marijuana establishment, dispensary, cultivation or manufacturing site outside its permitted zoning district, inside the buffer distances from homes, schools or other marijuana facilities, or with on-premise consumption or retail sales where prohibited, is a zoning violation subject to permit denial or revocation and the Code's general Class 1 misdemeanor penalty under Section 1-7, with each day a separate offense.

Frequently Asked Questions

How far must a marijuana dispensary be from a school in Glendale?
At least 1,320 feet under Section 35.3.103(T), measured in a straight line from the exterior wall of the building housing the dispensary to the property line of the elementary, secondary or high school. The same 1,320-foot buffer applies to marijuana establishments and manufacturing facilities, while the residential buffer for dispensaries is a shorter 500 feet.
Can two marijuana dispensaries operate near each other in Glendale?
No. Every marijuana dispensary, offsite cultivation location, establishment, manufacturing facility and designated caregiver cultivation site must be at least 5,280 feet, one mile, from any other such facility, with the distance measured from the exterior walls of the buildings involved rather than the property lines.
What zoning districts allow marijuana dispensaries in Glendale?
Only the General Office (G-O), General Commercial (C-2) and Heavy Commercial (C-3) districts allow a Marijuana Dispensary or Marijuana Establishment. Offsite cultivation locations and manufacturing facilities are restricted to the Light Industrial (M-1) and Heavy Industrial (M-2) districts instead.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Glendale

All Glendale rules

Compare Glendale to another location·View the Arizona cannabis regulations overview

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