Lexington, KY Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Sec. 13-84 of the LFUCG Code of Ordinances conditions every medicinal cannabis special fees license on the applicant supplying 'sufficient evidence' that its address sits outside a 1,000-foot buffer around existing child-care centers, family child-care homes, and registered providers in the state's child care assistance program. Sec. 13-83 defines that evidence as location maps identifying every property and current use within 1,000 feet of the proposed site, or plans filed with the Division of Planning. The applicant must also secure a zoning compliance permit and file the same buffer proof with each annual renewal application, alongside identification of the business type (cultivator, dispensary, producer, processor, or safety compliance facility) and contact information for the applicant and operator.

The Director of the Division of Revenue can refuse to issue or renew a license outright if the applicant 'cannot provide sufficient evidence that its proposed location is more than one thousand (1,000) feet' from a qualifying child-care use, and can also refuse for false statements, incomplete applications, unpaid fees or fines, or unresolved code violations. A license already issued can be revoked on the same buffer ground or after two violations of the article within one license term, and a revoked licensee cannot reapply at that address for one year.

Licenses run on a calendar year, expiring each December 31 or upon revocation of the operator's state cabinet license under KRS Chapter 218B. The article applies uniformly across Lexington-Fayette County since the merged government replaced any separate city/county line for zoning and licensing purposes.