Rankin County, MS Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 1,000 feet from residential structures
- Measured from
- Closest point, structure to structure
- Applies to
- All medical cannabis establishment types
- Related rule
- Barred from platted subdivisions too
Summary
Rankin County's Zoning Ordinance bars every medical cannabis establishment, cultivation, processing, testing, or dispensary, from locating within 1,000 feet of the nearest occupied residential structure, measured structure to structure.
419.11 Proximity to Existing Residential Properties: No medical cannabis establishment may locate within 1,000 feet of the nearest occupied residential structure as measured from the closet point of structure to structure.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: the cited page had not changed since it was quoted.
Full Breakdown
Section 419.11 of the county's Zoning Ordinance sets a flat 1,000-foot buffer between any medical cannabis establishment and the nearest occupied residential structure, measured from the closest point of one structure to the closest point of the other. The rule applies uniformly to cultivation, processing, testing, disposal, transportation and dispensary facilities, and it sits on top of the district-by-district location rules: cannabis uses are separately restricted to conditional-use approval in the A-1, C-3, and I-1 districts. There's also a companion siting rule barring cannabis establishments from platted residential subdivisions altogether (Section 419.12). This governs unincorporated Rankin County only, not Brandon, Pearl, Flowood, or the county's other cities.
Violations & Fines
Siting a medical cannabis establishment inside the 1,000-foot residential buffer is a zoning violation; conviction carries a fine up to $1,000 and/or up to a year in jail under Section 714.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a cannabis facility be from a house in Rankin County?
Does the buffer apply to cultivation facilities or just dispensaries?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rankin County
Compare Rankin County to another location·View the Mississippi cannabis regulations overview
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