Mesa Zoning Ordinance Section 11-3-12 requires marijuana establishments to sit at least 1,320 feet (one quarter mile) from any public or private K-12 school, with additional separation from churches, parks, and existing dispensaries.
After Arizona's Proposition 207 legalized adult-use cannabis in 2020, Mesa adopted Zoning Ordinance Section 11-3-12 imposing strict locational rules on marijuana retail, cultivation, and infusion facilities. Dispensaries must be 1,320 feet from any K-12 school measured property line to property line, plus separation from churches, public parks, residential zones, and other dispensaries to prevent clustering. Drive-through windows and on-site consumption are prohibited. The Arizona Department of Health Services issues state licenses and limits the number of dual licenses by county, while Mesa's Planning Division verifies buffer compliance during use permit review. Buffer measurements use the shortest pedestrian route, not radial distance.
Operating a cannabis establishment inside the 1,320-foot school buffer or other prohibited separation can trigger Mesa use permit revocation, code enforcement closure, and ADHS license action.
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