Newark requires cannabis dispensaries, cultivators, and manufacturers to maintain minimum distance buffers from schools, daycare centers, public parks, and houses of worship — measured property-line to property-line under Title 14 §2 and NJ §24:6I rules.
Newark's cannabis ordinance (Title 14 §2) imposes buffer zones beyond the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission's baseline. Dispensaries must sit at least 200 feet from K-12 schools and licensed daycares, with similar buffers from public parks, playgrounds, and houses of worship. Buffers are measured from nearest property line to nearest property line. Cultivation and manufacturing facilities face additional industrial-zone restrictions. The Cannabis Review Board verifies buffer compliance during local endorsement. Variances are rare and require public hearing. Buffers do not apply retroactively to schools opening after a dispensary licenses.
Operating inside a buffer zone results in license denial, revocation of local endorsement, fines, and CRC referral. Misrepresenting distance on the application is grounds for permanent disqualification.
Newark, NJ
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See how Newark's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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