Plymouth, MN Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 500 feet
- Measured from
- school, treatment facility, playfield, or park amenity
- Map custodian
- Zoning Administrator
- Registration cap
- 1 per 12,500 residents
- Unregistered sale penalty
- up to $2,000 per violation
- Retail hours
- 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily
Summary
In the City of Plymouth, no cannabis retailer, microbusiness, or mezzobusiness with a retail endorsement may operate, and the City will not issue a registration, within 500 feet of a school, Residential Treatment Facility, playfield, or park amenity regularly used by minors. The Zoning Administrator maintains the official Cannabis Retail Buffer Map that applicants must consult before choosing a site.
21194.03. - Cannabis Retail Buffer. Subd. 1.Operations. (a)No cannabis business making retail sales to customers may operate, and no registration will be issued, within the Cannabis Retail Buffer. ... Subd. ... 2.Measurement. (a)The Cannabis Retail Buffer 500-foot distance shall be measured from:a.The closest parcel edge of any contiguously owned school or residential treatment facility land; orb.The closest edge of any playfield parcel; orc.The nearest park amenity point.(b)The Cannabis Retail Buffer 500-foot distance shall be measured to:a.For single tenant buildings, the freestanding parcel upon which the Cannabis Retailer is to be licensed.b.In multitenant buildings, the buffer shall be measured from the closest exterior walls of owned or leased tenant space.
Full Breakdown
03 sets the buffer as measured from the closest parcel edge of any contiguously owned school or Residential Treatment Facility land, the closest edge of any playfield parcel, or the nearest park amenity point, out to the freestanding parcel of a single-tenant retailer or the closest exterior wall of a leased tenant space in a multitenant building. A school, treatment facility, or park amenity that moves in near an already-registered retailer after the license issues does not retroactively make that retailer ineligible for renewal or expansion, so the buffer screens new registrations rather than closing existing ones.
07 to no fewer than one for every 12,500 residents. 09, Subd. 2(b), the City must certify to the state Office of Cannabis Management within 30 days of receiving a copy of a license application whether the proposed site complies with local zoning, including the buffer. Applicants must also certify compliance with the Cannabis Retail Buffer directly on their registration application.
Violations & Fines
Because no registration will issue inside the buffer, any retail sale made without a valid registration, including one attempted inside the 500-foot zone, draws a civil penalty of up to $2,000 per violation under § 21194.09, Subd. 1(b). The City may also suspend an existing registration for up to 30 calendar days for a violation of this Section, notifying the Office of Cannabis Management in writing of the grounds.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a Plymouth cannabis retailer stay from a school?
Does a new school near an existing dispensary force it to close?
Where can I check the buffer boundaries before leasing space?
What happens if a retailer operates inside the buffer anyway?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Plymouth
Compare Plymouth to another location·View the Minnesota cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Hennepin County handle buffer zones.