Issaquah, WA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Facility to facility
- 500 feet minimum between recreational cannabis facilities
- Protected uses
- 1,000 feet from uses specified in RCW 69.50.331 and WAC 314-55-050
- Proof
- Map drawn to scale; licensed surveyor survey can be required by the Director
- Later neighbors
- Listed uses within 1,000 feet lose separation benefit
- Single tenant space
- One facility, except combined producer and processor
Summary
Issaquah bars a recreational cannabis facility within 500 feet of any other recreational cannabis facility, and applicants must map a distance of at least 1,000 feet from every use listed in RCW 69.50.331 and WAC 314-55-050. Uses that move in near an established facility lose the benefit of the separation rule.
C. Separation Requirements. ... 2. No recreational cannabis facility is be permitted within 500 feet of any other recreational cannabis facility. 3. If a use listed in subsection IMC 18.502.100(D) locates within 1,000 feet of a recreational cannabis facility after the recreational cannabis facility is lawfully established, such use may not benefit from the separation requirements of this subsection. A recreational cannabis facility is lawfully located under the Issaquah Municipal Code if it has located within the City in accordance with the requirements of this section. ... 2. A map drawn to scale showing that the proposed recreational cannabis facility is at least 1,000 feet from all uses specified in RCW 69.50.331 and WAC 314-55-050 . A survey prepared by a surveyor licensed in the State of Washington may be required by the Director; and
Full Breakdown
Land Use Code § 18.502.090, Recreational cannabis facilities, sets two distance tests in Issaquah. The first is facility to facility. Under subsection C, no recreational cannabis facility is permitted within 500 feet of any other recreational cannabis facility. Subsection C also allows only one recreational cannabis facility in a single tenant space, with one exception: a licensee holding both cannabis producer and cannabis processor licenses can locate the combined operation in a single tenant space.
The second test is facility to protected use. Subsection D requires an application to include a map drawn to scale showing that the proposed recreational cannabis facility is at least 1,000 feet from all uses specified in RCW 69.50.331 and WAC 314-55-050. A survey prepared by a surveyor licensed in the State of Washington can be required by the Director. The city code defers to those state provisions for the list of protected uses rather than naming schools or parks itself.
Subsection C(3) protects a lawfully established facility from later neighbors. If a use listed in IMC 18.502.100(D), the adult entertainment separation subsection, locates within 1,000 feet of a recreational cannabis facility after the facility is lawfully established, that use cannot benefit from the separation requirements. A facility is lawfully located if it located within the City in accordance with the requirements of the section.
The application must come from a cannabis licensee or an applicant for a cannabis license, with a copy of the license or the license application attached, and it must include a copy of the operating plan required by the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. The 500-foot and 1,000-foot figures are the only distances the section prints, and the code states no measurement method for the cannabis distances.
Violations & Fines
Subsection D bars issuing a permit for a recreational cannabis facility unless the applicant is a cannabis licensee. Operating a use without required permits is unlawful under IMC 8.45.020(B)(1). The Code Enforcement Officer, authorized by the Mayor under IMC 8.45.030(A), enforces civil provisions, and IMC 1.06.010(D) sets a cumulative civil penalty of $250.00 per day for each violation not otherwise classified.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far apart must Issaquah cannabis stores be?
What is the distance from schools and parks in Issaquah?
Who can require a survey of the distances?
What if a protected use opens near an existing cannabis business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Issaquah
Compare Issaquah to another location·View the Washington cannabis regulations overview
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How other cities in King County handle buffer zones.