Orem, UT Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential zone buffer
- 600 feet, both use types
- Community-location buffer (production)
- 1,000 feet
- Community-location buffer (pharmacy)
- 200 feet
- Community location defined as
- School, day care, church, library, park
- Measurement method
- Shortest pedestrian route, not straight line
Summary
Cannabis production establishments and medical cannabis pharmacies in Orem must stay at least 600 feet from any primarily residential zone, plus 1,000 feet from a school, church, library, park, or day care for a production facility, or 200 feet for a pharmacy, under Section 22-14-21(C).
May not be located within 600 feet of any primarily residential zone or within 1,000 feet of any community location, measured from the nearest entrance to the cannabis production establishment by following the shortest ordinary route of pedestrian travel to the boundary of the community location or residential zone. If the distances above are reduced by waiver of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, the reduced separation requirements shall apply. ... May not be located within 600 feet of any primarily residential zone or within 200 feet of any community location.
Full Breakdown
Orem layers distance buffers onto its cannabis zoning rules in Section 22-14-21(C). by following the shortest ordinary route of pedestrian travel to the boundary of the community location or residential zone," meaning the City measures actual walking distance rather than a straight line. The ordinance builds in one relief valve: "If the distances above are reduced by waiver of the Utah Department of Agriculture and Food, the reduced separation requirements shall apply," so a state waiver can shrink the buffer that would otherwise apply under City Code.
Violations & Fines
A cannabis production establishment or medical cannabis pharmacy sited inside the 600-foot residential buffer, or inside the 1,000-foot (production) or 200-foot (pharmacy) community-location buffer without a state waiver, is out of compliance with Section 22-14-21(C) and can be denied a City business license or ordered to relocate, with a knowing violation exposed to the Class C misdemeanor penalty of Section 22-1-6.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is the cannabis buffer distance measured in Orem?
What counts as a 'community location' for the buffer?
Can the buffer distance ever be shortened?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Orem
Compare Orem to another location·View the Utah cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Utah County handle buffer zones.