Fairfax County permits state-licensed cannabis cultivation and processing only by special exception in designated industrial and commercial zones, subject to Board of Supervisors review and conditions.
Under the Fairfax County Zoning Ordinance, cannabis cultivation, manufacturing, and processing tied to a state pharmaceutical processor license are not by-right uses. Applicants must obtain a special exception from the Board of Supervisors after Planning Commission review, demonstrating compatibility with surrounding land uses, traffic, odor controls, security, and lighting. Fairfax has historically routed such applications to industrial districts away from residential neighborhoods. Future adult-use commercial cultivation, if authorized by the General Assembly, would likely follow the same special exception pathway unless the Board adopts a separate framework. By-right agricultural cannabis production on rural farms is not authorized under the current Cannabis Control Act.
Operating commercial cannabis activity without a special exception is a zoning violation that can trigger stop-work orders, daily civil penalties, and license action by the Cannabis Control Authority.
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See how Fairfax County's commercial cannabis zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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