Salt Lake City, UT Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Residential zones
- banned citywide
- School/park buffer
- set by Utah Code, not city
- License required
- state license + city business license
- Governing section
- § 21A.36.310
Summary
Salt Lake City bans medicinal cannabis pharmacies from every residential zone and requires state-set spacing from schools, parks, and other sensitive uses under Utah Code before a pharmacy can open in an eligible commercial or industrial district.
A medicinal cannabis pharmacy shall be permitted pursuant to Utah Code Section 4-41a-1105, as amended, in all city zoning districts, except zoning districts that are primarily residential...In addition to the prohibition of this use in primarily residential districts, a medicinal cannabis pharmacy shall also be subject to the spacing requirements, and the methods of measurement thereof, set forth in Utah Code Sections 4-41a-1001 and 4-41a-1206.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: 2026 S-21: Code current through: Ord. 40-26, passed June 16, 2026).
Full Breakdown
Salt Lake City Code § 21A.36.310 permits a medicinal cannabis pharmacy as a permitted use in every zoning district except those that are primarily residential, meaning all Chapter 21A.24 residential districts plus the FB-UN1 Form Based Urban Neighborhood, FP Foothills Protection, and MH Mobile Home Park districts. Beyond that citywide residential exclusion, the ordinance sends the buffer question to the state: each pharmacy must meet the spacing requirements and measurement methods set out in Utah Code Sections 4-41a-1001 and 4-41a-1206. A pharmacy also needs a Utah Department of Health license and a city business license before it can operate.
Violations & Fines
Operating a medicinal cannabis pharmacy without both a Utah Department of Health license and a Salt Lake City business license, or siting one inside a primarily residential zone, forfeits its permitted-use status under § 21A.36.310.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Salt Lake City set its own buffer distance from schools or parks for cannabis pharmacies?
Where can a medicinal cannabis pharmacy legally locate in Salt Lake City?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Salt Lake City
Compare Salt Lake City to another location·View the Utah cannabis regulations overview
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Buffer Zones in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Salt Lake County handle buffer zones.