Olmsted County, MN Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Day care buffer
- 500 feet
- Treatment facility buffer
- 500 feet
- Park/playground buffer
- 500 feet
- Applies to
- Any cannabis business, incl. cultivation
Summary
No cannabis business, including cultivation, may operate within 1,000 feet of a school, college or university, or within 500 feet of a licensed day care, a residential treatment facility, or a public park or playground regularly used by minors, under Section 10.54.A of the county zoning ordinance.
A. Location Criteria- No cannabis business (including cultivation) may be located within any of the following distances: 1. 1,000 feet of any educational institution or school, college or university, as defined in Section 2152.07 the Olmsted County Public Ordinance Regulating the Use of Cannabis and Cannabis Derived Products in Public Places. 2. 500 feet of a licensed day care facility, 3. 500 feet of a residential treatment facility, 4. 500 feet of a public park, or playground that is regularly used by minors including a playground or athletic field.
Full Breakdown
A sets Olmsted County's cannabis buffer distances for unincorporated territory. 07 the Olmsted County Public Ordinance Regulating the Use of Cannabis and Cannabis Derived Products in Public Places,' the longest buffer in the section. 02. B confining cultivation to A-1, A-2 and A-3 Agricultural zoning. Because the buffer runs from the protected use's property line rather than a building entrance, an applicant needs a site survey measuring to the nearest park, day care, treatment facility or school boundary before applying, and the Zoning Administrator checks that distance as part of Interim Use review rather than leaving it to self-certification.
Violations & Fines
Operating a cannabis business inside one of these buffers, or beginning operation before Interim Use approval, is a zoning violation under Section 3.10: a misdemeanor, with each day of the buffer violation treated as a separate offense, and the county can revoke the Interim Use approval or seek a court order shutting the business down until it relocates outside the protected distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a cannabis business stay from a school in Olmsted County?
What's the buffer for day cares and parks?
Do these buffers apply to cannabis cultivation too?
Who checks the buffer distance before a cannabis business can open?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Olmsted County
Compare Olmsted County to another location·View the Minnesota cannabis regulations overview
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