Arizona Revised Statutes section 36-2806 bars marijuana dispensaries within 1320 feet of an existing public or private school. The state buffer applies in unincorporated Maricopa County, and Title XIII county zoning may add larger setbacks from residential zones and parks.
ARS section 36-2806(C) requires every Arizona marijuana establishment, including social equity stores, to sit at least 1320 feet (a quarter mile) from any public or private K-12 school existing on the date the dispensary applies. ADHS verifies distance during licensing. Maricopa County Title XIII chapter 12 supplements the buffer with Conditional Use Permit standards: minimum 500-foot setback from residential zones, 1000-foot separation between dispensaries, and screened parking and signage. Day cares, libraries, and parks are not part of the state 1320-foot buffer but may trigger additional Planning and Development conditions. Existing dispensaries are grandfathered if a school later opens within the buffer.
A dispensary located inside the 1320-foot school buffer faces ADHS license denial or revocation under ARS section 36-2806 and county Title XIII closure orders, plus civil penalties up to one thousand dollars per day of operation.
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Side-by-side rule comparisons with other cities in Maricopa County.
See how other cities in Maricopa County handle buffer zones.
See how Scottsdale's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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