Yakima, WA Cannabis Regulations: Buffer Zones (2026)
Key Facts
- Buffer distance
- 1,000 feet from schools, parks, libraries, child care, transit
- Residential zones
- marijuana businesses barred entirely, any distance
- Measurement method
- shortest straight-line, property line to property line
- Cooperative buffer
- same 1,000 ft, plus 1 mile from any retailer
- Applicant notice
- 60 days' written notice before state licensure
- Odor rule
- license suspension possible if odor persists
Summary
Yakima bars marijuana producers, processors, researchers, and retailers from locating within one thousand feet of schools, playgrounds, parks, libraries, child care centers, transit centers, and game arcades, and bans them from every residential zone citywide, under Yakima Municipal Code § 15.09.220(D).
D. Limitations on Locations—Producers, Processors, Researchers and Retailers. The following limitations shall apply to all marijuana producers, processors, researchers and retailers, in addition to the limitations outlined in YMC § 15.04.030, unless stated otherwise: 1. A marijuana producer, retailer, researcher or processor shall not be located within one thousand feet of the perimeter of the grounds of the following uses, and any use included in Chapter 314-55 WAC now or as hereafter amended: a. Elementary or secondary school; b. Playgrounds; c. Recreation center or facility; d. Child care centers; e. Public parks; f. Public transit centers; g. Libraries; and h. Any game arcade, as defined herein. 2. No marijuana producer, processor, researcher or retailer shall be allowed to locate within any residential zone of the city of Yakima. 3. All separation requirements shall be measured as the shortest straight line distance from the property line of the proposed building/business location of a marijuana producer, marijuana processor, marijuana researcher or marijuana retailer to the property line of the entities listed in subsection (D)(1) of this section.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: rev 4980636; v1 updated 2026-08-03; through 08-03-2026).
Full Breakdown
250. Subsection (D)(1) bars a marijuana producer, retailer, researcher, or processor from locating within one thousand feet of the perimeter of the grounds of an elementary or secondary school, a playground, a recreation center or facility, a child care center, a public park, a public transit center, a library, or any game arcade not restricted to adults twenty-one and older, plus any use listed in WAC Chapter 314-55. Subsection (D)(2) separately bans these businesses from any residential zone in the city of Yakima, regardless of distance from a sensitive use.
Subsection (D)(3) fixes the measuring method: the shortest straight-line distance from the property line of the proposed marijuana business to the property line of the protected use. Neighborhood cooperatives face a nearly identical buffer at subsection (G), plus an added restriction barring a cooperative within one mile of any marijuana retailer, and cooperatives must be sited inside a participating member's own home. Subsection (H) requires odor containment so strong that odor cannot be detected by a person with a normal sense of smell from any adjoining property; the city can suspend a business license if ventilation upgrades do not fix a persistent odor problem.
Subsection (I) requires an applicant to give sixty days' written notice, with Liquor and Cannabis Board contact information, to every protected use within one thousand feet before state licensure issues.
Violations & Fines
Violations of the marijuana-use location and odor standards are enforced under YMC Chapter 15.25 alongside the rest of Title 15: a misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine and up to ninety days in jail, or a fine-only penalty capped at $500 for a first, single violation, plus a $50-per-day civil penalty and a lien until the violation is corrected. Persistent odor problems can also trigger suspension of the business's city license under § 15.09.220(H) until ventilation fixes the issue.
Frequently Asked Questions
How far must a marijuana business be from a school in Yakima?
Can a marijuana retailer open in a residential neighborhood?
Do medical marijuana cooperatives face the same buffer?
What if odor from a marijuana business escapes the building?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Yakima
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