Mount Vernon, NY Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)

Section 267-85B(1) prohibits siting a cannabis dispensary or consumption site within 1,000 feet of any other lot containing another dispensary or consumption site, preventing clustering anywhere in the six eligible zoning districts. Subsection (2) adds a 500-foot buffer from any lot containing a community purpose building, house of worship, or school grounds as defined in the New York Education Law. Subsection (3) fixes the measurement method: distance is taken in a straight line, without regard for intervening structures, from the nearest point of the protected lot to the front door of the dispensary or consumption site, so a school or rival dispensary around a corner or behind other buildings still counts if it falls within the radius.

A separate but related buffer governs signage rather than siting: § 267-87B bars any cannabis-related sign from being placed or readily observed within 500 feet of school grounds, day-care centers, youth services, playgrounds, public parks, libraries, or community purpose buildings, a broader list of protected uses than the siting buffer itself. Because the siting buffers apply on top of the district limits in § 267-85A, a parcel can sit inside an eligible Neighborhood Business or Commercial Business district and still be unbuildable for cannabis use if it falls inside either buffer.