Portland, OR Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Dispensary-to-dispensary buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Retailer-to-retailer buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Barred zones
- RF through RM4, RMP
- Administering office
- Portland Permitting & Development
Summary
Portland marijuana dispensaries and retailers must sit at least 1,000 feet from any school and 1,000 feet from another dispensary or retailer.
E. No medical dispensary, marijuana retailer or marijuana retail courier may locate its licensed premises for business operations within 1,000 feet of:
1. any public elementary or secondary school for which attendance is compulsory under ORS 339.020; or
2. a private or parochial elementary or secondary school, teaching children as described in ORS 339.030.
3. The distance from a school to a medical dispensary or a marijuana business retailer will be computed by direct measurement from the nearest property line of the land used for the school to the nearest portion of the building in which the medical dispensary or marijuana retail business is located.
4. If a school described in Subsection 14B.130.040 D. that has not previously been attended by children is established within 1,000 feet of a medical dispensary, marijuana retailer or marijuana retail courier for which a license has been issued under Chapter 14B.130, the medical dispensary, marijuana retailer or marijuana retail courier located at that premises may remain at that location unless:
a. The Portland Permitting & Development revokes the license of the marijuana business under Section 14B.130.110; or
b. A new application is required.
F. No medical dispensary, marijuana business, marijuana laboratory, or research certificate holder may be located in residential zones RF through RM4 and RMP or where otherwise not allowed per City Code.
Full Breakdown
Portland City Code bars a marijuana regulatory license within 1,000 feet of any public or private elementary or secondary school, measured from the school's nearest property line to the nearest building wall of the dispensary or retailer. The code also keeps dispensaries and retailers 1,000 feet apart from each other, and bars them entirely from residential zones RF through RM4 and RMP. The Portland Permitting & Development office administers the licensing and distance review; there is no separate buffer for parks in the city code.
Violations & Fines
Portland Permitting & Development will deny a marijuana regulatory license application that fails the 1,000-foot school or same-type-business spacing test, and can revoke an already-issued license under Section 14B.130.110 if a disqualifying location issue is later confirmed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Portland require a buffer from parks for cannabis businesses?
How is the school distance measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Portland
Compare Portland to another location·View the Oregon cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Multnomah County handle buffer zones.