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Minneapolis, MN Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

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

Key Facts

School buffer
300 feet from K-12 schools
Minimum site area
3 contiguous acres
Shared entrance
prohibited with non-cannabis use
Required filing
odor control/air filtration plan
Use status
principal use, limited exceptions

Summary

Minneapolis requires cannabis dispensaries to sit at least 300 feet from any K-12 school and inside a contiguous commercial or industrial area of at least three acres zoned for dispensary use.

Cannabis dispensary. a. The use shall be located at least three hundred (300) feet from a school, grades K-12. b. The use shall be located within a contiguous commercial or industrial area of at least three (3) acres. The minimum acreage required shall be comprised of contiguous zoning districts where a dispensary is a permitted principal use.

Source: Minneapolis Cannabis ProgramView 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 72).

Full Breakdown

Minneapolis Zoning Code Section 545.210(f)(3) sets the spacing rule for cannabis dispensaries: they must be located at least 300 feet from any K-12 school building and can only locate within a contiguous commercial or industrial area covering at least three acres of zoning districts where a dispensary is a permitted principal use. Dispensaries must operate as a principal use unless accessory to a licensed cultivation or manufacturing operation, cannot share a common entrance with a non-cannabis business, and must file an odor control and air filtration plan approved by the Commissioner of Health. The code sets no separate distance requirement from parks.

Violations & Fines

Siting a dispensary within 300 feet of a K-12 school, outside a qualifying three-acre commercial or industrial area, or sharing an entrance with a non-cannabis business violates the zoning code and can block or revoke the site's zoning approval.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Minneapolis also require a buffer from parks?
No. The zoning code's cannabis dispensary standard only sets a 300-foot distance from K-12 schools; it does not impose a separate buffer from parks or playgrounds.
Can a dispensary open anywhere zoned commercial?
No. Beyond the school buffer, it must sit within a contiguous commercial or industrial area of at least three acres made up of districts where dispensaries are a permitted principal use.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Minneapolis

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsDispensary ZoningSome RestrictionsPersonal Cultivation LimitsFew RestrictionsParking Rules: Towing & Impound RightsSignificant RestrictionsParking Rules: Loading ZonesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Preferential Parking DistrictsSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Bird ProtectionHeavy RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Veterinary Clinic ZoningSome Restrictions

All Minneapolis rules

Compare Minneapolis to another location·View the Minnesota cannabis regulations overview

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