St. Louis, MO Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Default buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Authority
- MO Const. Art. XIV
- Sensitive uses
- Schools, daycare, churches
- Local waiver
- Allowed by ordinance
Summary
Missouri requires comprehensive cannabis facilities to be at least 1,000 feet from schools, daycares, and churches under Article XIV. St. Louis enforces buffers via zoning review by the Cannabis Regulation Division.
195.005. Comprehensive drug control act. — This chapter and chapter 579 shall be known as the "Comprehensive Drug Control Act".
Full Breakdown
Missouri Constitution Article XIV and Mo. §195.005 et seq. impose a 1,000-foot buffer between licensed comprehensive marijuana facilities and the property line of any school, daycare, or church, measured per Missouri Division of Cannabis Regulation rules. Local jurisdictions may reduce the buffer by ordinance, and St. Louis BPS has used the local-flexibility provision selectively for downtown and special districts. The Form-Based Code (2024) overlays cannabis zoning permissions onto specific transect zones. Buffer measurements are property-line to property-line and use the most direct pedestrian path. Existing licensed locations are generally grandfathered against later-arriving sensitive uses.
Violations & Fines
Operating a comprehensive cannabis facility within prohibited buffer distance without a local waiver results in license denial or revocation by the Missouri DCR.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can St. Louis reduce the 1,000-foot buffer?
How is the distance measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in St. Louis
Compare St. Louis to another location·View the Missouri cannabis regulations overview
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