Baltimore County, MD Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- School/day care buffer
- 500 feet
- Dispensary-to-dispensary buffer
- 1,000 feet
- Measurement method
- Straight line, property line to property line
- Governing article
- Zoning Regulations Article 4D
Summary
A licensed cannabis dispensary in Baltimore County may not sit within 500 feet of a school or day care center, or within 1,000 feet of another dispensary, with distances measured in a straight line from property line to property line under the county zoning regulations.
B.A cannabis dispensary may not be located: ... 3.Within 1,000 feet of another cannabis dispensary. C.All setbacks under Subsection B shall be measured from the nearest property line of the cannabis dispensary using a direct line to the nearest property line of the school, day care center, or other dispensary.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 29 | Zoning Regulations: Supplement 10).
Full Breakdown
B. A cannabis dispensary may not be located within 500 feet of a public or private school or licensed day care center, and may not be located within 1,000 feet of another cannabis dispensary. C directs that all setbacks under Subsection B be measured from the nearest property line of the cannabis dispensary using a direct line to the nearest property line of the school, day care center, or other dispensary, meaning the buffer is a straight-line property-to-property measurement rather than a walking or driving distance.
and O-3 Zones, and only by special exception where those zones fall inside a Commercial Revitalization District. L. Zone located within a Chesapeake Enterprise Zone. Because the buffer runs from a dispensary's own property line, a site adjoining a school lot on one side but otherwise conforming to the zoning list will fail the 500-foot test even if the building entrance sits farther away, since the regulation measures from the nearest boundary line, not the building or the entrance.
Violations & Fines
A cannabis dispensary sited in violation of the 500-foot school/day-care buffer or the 1,000-foot dispensary-to-dispensary buffer can be denied zoning approval or have an issued permit revoked by the Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, and may also jeopardize the operator's state cannabis license under COMAR 10.62.
Frequently Asked Questions
How close can a cannabis dispensary be to a school in Baltimore County?
Can two cannabis dispensaries operate near each other?
Is the buffer measured from the building or the lot line?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Baltimore County
Compare Baltimore County to another location·View the Maryland cannabis regulations overview
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