Raleigh permits hemp and CBD retail under the Unified Development Ordinance general retail use category. There is no cannabis commercial zoning because North Carolina has not legalized recreational or medical marijuana sales.
The Raleigh Unified Development Ordinance treats hemp and CBD shops as general retail under permitted commercial zoning districts such as CX, NX, and DX. No separate use category exists for cannabis because the substance remains illegal at the state level. Smoke shops selling tobacco accessories alongside CBD must comply with NC tobacco-retail rules. If state law changes to permit medical or adult-use cannabis, Raleigh would likely amend the UDO to create a new use category with conditional-use permit requirements, public hearings, and potential overlay districts limiting concentration.
Operating a hemp or CBD retailer outside permitted zoning districts can result in zoning enforcement action, certificate of occupancy denial, and required cessation of business pending compliance with the UDO.
Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC
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See how Raleigh's commercial cannabis zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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