Future Virginia Beach cannabis retailers will need to maintain state-mandated buffers from schools, daycares, and substance-use facilities under Virginia Cannabis Control Authority licensing rules.
Virginia's Cannabis Control Authority (CCA), created under Virginia Code §4.1-602, regulates retail licensing once adult-use sales launch. Statewide rules typically require buffers of 1,000 feet from public or private K-12 schools, daycares, and substance-abuse treatment centers. Virginia Beach City Council retains zoning authority under Virginia Code §15.2-2280 to add stricter local separation requirements or limit retail to specific commercial zoning districts. The Virginia Beach Planning Department will review any future applications against the City Zoning Ordinance once the CCA issues its first retail licenses.
Operating a cannabis retailer inside a prohibited buffer or in a zoning district that disallows retail can trigger CCA license revocation and Virginia Beach zoning enforcement action.
See how Virginia Beach's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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