Portland, ME Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 500 ft from public/private school or preschool
- Residential buffer
- 300 ft, cultivation/mfg/testing only
- Not subject to residential buffer
- retail stores, caregivers, dispensaries
- Measurement method
- straight line, lot line to lot line
- Governing section
- LUC § 6.4.23(B)
Summary
Portland bars marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, testing, retail, caregiver, and dispensary uses within 500 feet of any pre-existing public, private, or preschool program, and bars cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities within 300 feet of any residential zone, both measured lot line to lot line under Land Use Code § 6.4.23(B).
B. Location criteria 1. No marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana manufacturing facility, marijuana testing facility, small-scale marijuana caregiver, marijuana store, or registered dispensary may be located within 500 feet of a pre-existing public school, private school, or a public preschool program, as defined by 20-A M.R.S. § 1. Distance shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point of the lot line on the lot which the use is proposed to the nearest point of the lot line on the lot where the public school, private school, or public preschool program is located, without regard to intervening structures or objects. 2. No marijuana cultivation facility, marijuana manufacturing facility, or marijuana testing facility may be located within 300 feet of any residential zone. Distance shall be measured in a straight line from the nearest point of the lot line on the lot which the use is proposed to the nearest point of the lot line on the lot where the residential zone is located, without regard to intervening structures or objects.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
23(B) of the Land Use Code sets two separate buffers for marijuana-related uses. § 1. The second, in paragraph (B)(2), applies only to cultivation, manufacturing, and testing facilities, keeping them at least 300 feet from any residential zone; retail stores, caregivers, and dispensaries are not subject to the 300-foot residential buffer, only the 500-foot school buffer, because paragraph (B)(2) names just the three facility types. Both distances use the same measurement method as the adult-business spacing rule: a straight line from the nearest point of the lot line where the use is proposed to the nearest point of the lot line of the school or residential zone, 'without regard to intervening structures or objects,' so an intervening parcel, building, or street does not reduce the buffer. 23(C)-(D) and the zone-by-zone permission in Table 6, so a site must clear the buffer test before the use-standard size limits even become relevant.
Violations & Fines
Siting a marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, or testing facility within 300 feet of a residential zone, or any of the six covered marijuana uses within 500 feet of a pre-existing school or public preschool program, violates § 6.4.23(B) and is treated as a zoning violation, blocking site plan and building permit approval until the location is brought into compliance.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a marijuana cultivation facility be to a Portland school?
Does the 300-foot residential buffer apply to marijuana retail stores?
Do trees or buildings between a marijuana facility and a school reduce the buffer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Maine cannabis regulations overview
See something wrong?
Help us keep this page accurate. If you notice an error or outdated information, let us know.