Tamarac, FL Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School buffer
- 500 feet, property line to property line
- Buffer override
- Only via public variance finding public benefit
- Dispensing hours ban
- 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.
- State license
- Required under F.S. §381.986
- Governing section
- LDC § 10-3.3(D)(15)(d)
Summary
In the City of Tamarac, a medical marijuana dispensary cannot sit within 500 feet of any public or private elementary, middle or secondary school under LDC §10-3.3(D)(15)(d), measured property line to property line, unless the city grants a public variance finding the location serves public health and safety.
(d)Medical Marijuana Dispensary. (i)No medical marijuana dispensary, where permitted, shall be located within five hundred (500) feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school unless the city approves the location through a formal variance proceeding open to the public at which the city determines that the location promotes the public health, safety and general welfare of the community.(ii)Measurement shall be from the property line boundary of the proposed medical marijuana dispensary to the nearest point of the property line boundary of the private or public elementary, middle or secondary school.(iii)No medical marijuana dispensary is permitted to dispense from its premises marijuana or a marijuana delivery device between the hours of 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.(iv)All medical marijuana dispensary establishments offering or providing retail services within the city shall be duly licensed by the state under F.S. §381.986, and shall operate, provide security, signage and general conformance with F.S. §381.986, as amended.
Full Breakdown
Tamarac regulates medical marijuana dispensaries as a use-specific standard tied to retail zoning at LDC §10-3.3(D)(15)(d). The 500-foot school buffer is measured from the property line of the proposed dispensary to the nearest point of the school's property line, so the distance runs lot-line to lot-line rather than door to door. A dispensary that cannot meet the buffer may still locate there only if the city approves a formal variance through a public hearing at which the city finds the location promotes public health, safety and general welfare, so the buffer is not an absolute ban but a discretionary override.
Beyond the school setback, the ordinance restricts dispensing hours: no dispensary may dispense marijuana or a marijuana delivery device between 9:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m., mirroring the city's massage establishment curfew. Every dispensary must also hold the state license required under F.S. §381.986 and operate, provide security, and post signage in conformance with that statute as amended, and the city separately requires a business license for the operation. Community Development reviews site plans and the variance application, while code compliance handles after-hours and unlicensed-operation complaints.
Violations & Fines
Locating a dispensary inside the 500-foot school buffer without an approved variance, dispensing outside the 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. curfew, or operating without the F.S. §381.986 state license or a city business license violates LDC §10-3.3(D)(15)(d) and can result in code enforcement action, business license denial or revocation, and the criminal exposure state law attaches to unlicensed dispensing.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a marijuana dispensary be to a Tamarac school?
Can a Tamarac dispensary stay open late?
What license does a dispensary need to operate in Tamarac?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tamarac
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Tamarac to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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