Martin County, FL Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 500 feet from public or private school
- Where allowed
- any zoning district that permits pharmacies
- Measurement method
- licensed survey, nearest property points
- Other buffers
- none required (no residential/park/church buffer)
- State tie-in
- MMTC licensed under F.S. § 381.986
Summary
LDR Section 3.77.1 lets a medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facility locate in any zoning district that permits pharmacies, but bars it from opening within 500 feet of any public or private school. The distance is measured straight-line between the nearest school property line and the nearest point of the dispensary building.
2.Medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC) dispensing facility:a.A medical marijuana dispensing facility shall be allowed in any zoning district that permits pharmacies.b.A medical marijuana dispensing facility shall be located no closer than 500 feet from any public or private school. The distance between school property and licensed premises shall be measured on a straight line connecting the nearest point of the school property to the nearest point of the building of the licensed premises, as documented by a survey prepared by a licensed surveyor.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 62 | Land Development Regulations: Supplement 62).
Full Breakdown
1, Limited retail sales and services, sets the countywide standard for where a medical marijuana treatment center (MMTC) dispensing facility can operate: it is allowed in any zoning district that already permits pharmacies, piggybacking the use onto existing pharmacy-compatible zoning rather than creating a standalone marijuana district. The section then layers on a single locational restriction, a 500-foot school buffer, measured on a straight line connecting the nearest point of the school property to the nearest point of the building housing the dispensing facility, and that distance must be documented by a survey prepared by a licensed surveyor rather than estimated.
20, confirming the standard applies uniformly rather than varying by district. 1 does not add separate buffers from residential districts, parks, churches or other dispensaries, so a dispensary's siting review turns on the pharmacy-use zoning test and the school survey rather than a multi-factor distance table. 986, and Martin County's zoning definition cross-references that statute directly.
Violations & Fines
A dispensing facility that opens within 500 feet of a school property line, or in a zoning district that does not permit pharmacies, is operating in violation of the Land Development Regulations and can be denied a certificate of occupancy or have its business tax receipt challenged by Growth Management; the county can also require a licensed survey confirming the buffer distance before final site plan approval issues.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a medical marijuana dispensary be to a school in Martin County?
What zoning districts allow a marijuana dispensary in Martin County?
Does Martin County require a buffer between a dispensary and a park or church?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Martin County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Martin County to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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