Pacifica, CA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School/youth center buffer
- 600 feet
- Day care center buffer
- 200 feet
- Measurement method
- Straight line, parcel line to parcel line
- Buffer applies to
- Entire parcel, even partial overlap
- Governing section
- Pacifica Municipal Code § 9-4.4803(c)(2)
Summary
Pacifica keeps every licensed cannabis operation, retail, manufacturing or testing, at least 600 feet from any school or youth center and at least 200 feet from any day care center that already exists when the cannabis activity permit is issued. Municipal Code Section 9-4.4803(c)(2) measures the buffer as a straight line between parcel lines, and the restriction reaches the entire lot even if only part of it falls inside the buffer.
(2)Areas and zones where cannabis operations are not permitted. Notwithstanding subparagraph (c)(1) above, a cannabis operation may not operate on a parcel or lot located within six hundred (600') feet of a school or youth center that is in existence at the time the cannabis activity permit is issued, or within two hundred (200') feet of a day care center that is in existence at the time the cannabis activity permit is issued. This distance shall be calculated as a straight line from any parcel line of the property on which the cannabis operation is located to the parcel line of the real property on which the facility, building, or structure, or portion of the facility, building or structure, in which the listed use occurs or is located. Locational restrictions shall apply to an entire parcel if any portion of the parcel is located within the applicable buffer distance.
Full Breakdown
4803(c) of the cannabis regulations chapter sets two layers of locational control. Subsection (c)(1) confines each type of cannabis operation to specific zoning: retail only inside a Cannabis Operation Overlay District, manufacturing only in the C-3 Service Commercial District, and testing only in the C-2 or C-3 Districts. Subsection (c)(2) then overlays a proximity buffer on top of that zoning: no cannabis operation, regardless of type, may operate on a parcel located within 600 feet of a school or youth center, or within 200 feet of a day care center, so long as that use is in existence when the City issues the cannabis activity permit.
The Code measures the distance as a straight line running from any parcel line of the cannabis operation's property to the parcel line of the property containing the school, youth center or day care center, not a walking or driving distance. If any portion of a proposed cannabis parcel falls inside the 600-foot or 200-foot buffer, the locational restriction applies to the entire parcel, not just the encroaching portion, so an operator cannot subdivide or reconfigure a lot to carve out a compliant footprint. The buffer applies at the moment the City reviews a cannabis activity permit application, measured against schools, youth centers and day care centers that already exist at that time.
5 was drawn separately from these buffers, an address inside an overlay district can still be disqualified if a qualifying school, youth center or day care center sits within the buffer distance, so an applicant must check both the overlay map and the buffer independently before applying.
Violations & Fines
A cannabis activity permit application for a parcel inside the 600-foot school or youth-center buffer, or the 200-foot day care buffer, must be denied under Section 9-4.4803(c)(2). Operating without a compliant location conflicts with the permit and public safety license requirement in Section 9-4.4803(b), exposing the operator to the Municipal Code's general misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000 and six months in jail, or an infraction citation with escalating fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a cannabis business stay from a school in Pacifica?
Is the day care buffer the same as the school buffer?
Can part of a lot inside the buffer still host a cannabis business?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pacifica
California rules heatmap·Compare Pacifica to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in San Mateo County handle buffer zones.