Washoe County, NV Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- WCC § 25.720(2)
- School buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Community facility buffer
- 300 feet
- Measurement method
- Straight line, front door to property line
- Grandfathering
- Protects establishments licensed before nearby use
Summary
Washoe County bars marijuana establishments from locating within 1,000 feet of a school offering preschool through grade 12, or within 300 feet of a community facility, measured in a straight line from the establishment's front door to the closest property line.
2.A marijuana establishment may not be located:(a)Within 1,000 feet of a public or private school that provides formal education traditionally associated with preschool or kindergarten through grade 12, or(b)Within 300 feet of a community facility.(c)For purposes of this ME Code, the distance restrictions for the uses enumerated in subsections (a) and (b) apply as follows:(1)For a marijuana establishment possessing a valid and current Washoe County medical marijuana establishment and/or a temporary marijuana establishment license prior to April 20, 2018, the use must have been established prior to the date when the marijuana establishment first received a Washoe County medical marijuana establishment license or Washoe County temporary marijuana establishment license, whichever date is earlier.(2)For applications for new marijuana establishment licenses received by the county after April 20, 2018, the use must have been established prior the date on which the application for the proposed marijuana establishment was submitted to the county.(d)For purposes of this ME Code, the measurement between the marijuana establishment and the uses enumerated in subsections (a) and (b) above shall be measured by a straight line from the front door of the proposed marijuana establishment to the closest point of the property line of a school or community facility.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 20 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
' Subsection (2)(d) fixes the measurement method: the distance is taken 'by a straight line from the front door of the proposed marijuana establishment to the closest point of the property line of a school or community facility,' not by travel distance along streets or sidewalks. Subsection (2)(c) provides a grandfathering rule for the reverse situation, a school or community facility that opens near an already-licensed marijuana establishment: for licenses held before April 20, 2018, the nearby use must have existed before the marijuana establishment's original license date, and for applications filed after that date, the nearby use must have existed before the application was submitted, so a business is not forced out by later development next door. 792, adopted to implement NRS chapters 453A and 453D and enforced by the license division and sheriff.
Violations & Fines
Locating a marijuana establishment inside the 1,000-foot school buffer or 300-foot community-facility buffer is grounds to deny a license application under § 25.752, and an establishment operating in violation of § 25.720 is subject to license revocation proceedings under §§ 25.776 and 25.784, which allow immediate revocation without a board hearing in defined circumstances.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a marijuana dispensary be from a school in Washoe County?
How far must a marijuana establishment be from a community facility?
What if a school opens near an already-licensed dispensary in Washoe County?
Who enforces the marijuana buffer-distance rules in Washoe County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Washoe County
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