Licensed DC medical cannabis dispensaries and cultivation centers must sit at least 300 feet from any pre-K, elementary, or secondary school, and may not cluster within 300 feet of another dispensary.
Under DC Code 7-1671.06 and 22 DCMR Chapter B, cannabis dispensaries cannot operate within 300 feet of a public, charter, private, or parochial school serving students through grade twelve. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration measures the distance from property line to property line. Cultivation centers face the same buffer plus a 300-foot separation from each other. ANC notice and zoning conformance are required before licensing. The 2022 Medical Cannabis Amendment Act preserved buffers while opening unlimited patient self-certification.
Operating a dispensary within the 300-foot school buffer or co-locating two dispensaries within 300 feet exposes operators to license revocation and fines up to $10,000 per day.
Washington, DC
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Washington, DC
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See how Washington's buffer zones rules stack up against other locations.
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