Sarasota, FL Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 500 feet minimum
- Schools covered
- Elementary, middle, secondary
- Located in
- Pharmacies' use standard
- Separate from
- State MMTC licensing
Summary
City of Sarasota requires medical marijuana dispensaries to sit at least 500 feet from any elementary, middle, or secondary school, on top of state licensing rules.
(o)Pharmacies. Pharmacies where permitted shall meet the following standards:(1)New pharmacies in the Downtown Core (DTC) zone district shall be placed at least 1,000 feet apart from existing pharmacies.(2)Medical marijuana dispensaries shall be located at least 500 feet from elementary, middle and secondary schools.(p)Motor vehicle showroom.(q)Motor vehicle storage lot.(r)Sale of alcoholic beverages.(s)Bed and breakfast inns.(t)Schools, kindergarten, elementary, secondary, vocational and trade (public or private).(u)Car washes, self-service and non-self-service.(v)Reserved.(w)Non-profit bingo.(x)Open air market/bazaar.(y)Attached single-family.(z)Alcoholism and drug receiving and treatment center.(aa)Group living.(bb)Convenience store.(cc)Accessory dwelling units.(dd)Manufactured home parks.(ee)Temporary uses and activities.(ff)Accessory home occupations.(gg)Flag lots.(hh)Short-term housing and mass shelters.(ii)Mobile food truck.(jj)Brewpub.(kk)Tasting room.(ll)Accessory nanobrewery/nanodistillery.(mm)Solar utility. (Ord. No. 02-4357, 4-29-02; Ord. No. 03-4472, § 5, 6-16-03; Ord. No. 06-4682, § 2, 7-26-06; Ord. No. 10-4912, § 2(att. 1), 6-7-10; Ord. No. 18-5234, § 2(Exh. A), 2-5-18; Ord. No. 20-5309, § 2(Exh. A), 11-2-20; Ord. no. 21-5364, § 2(Exh. A), 5-18-21; Ord. No. 22-5427, § 2(Exh. A), 9-6-22; Ord. No. 23-5503, § 2(Exh. A), 2-20-24; Ord. No. 24-5523, § 2(Exh. A), 7-15-24)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 33 | Zoning: Supplement 44).
Full Breakdown
Sarasota Zoning Code § VII-601(o)(2) sets a 500-foot buffer between medical marijuana dispensaries and elementary, middle, and secondary schools, inside the same 'Pharmacies' standard that also caps new Downtown Core pharmacies at one per 1,000 feet of separation from each other. Florida law (F.S. § 381.986) governs licensing of medical marijuana treatment centers statewide, but siting and buffer distances inside city limits are set locally under the city's own zoning authority, not by the state statute.
Violations & Fines
A dispensary sited inside the 500-foot school buffer is a zoning violation that can block site plan approval or a certificate of occupancy for the location.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a marijuana dispensary be from a Sarasota school?
Does state law also regulate dispensary locations?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Sarasota
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Sarasota to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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