Richmond will regulate cannabis retail and processing through its Chapter 30 zoning ordinance once Virginia's Cannabis Control Authority opens licensing; commercial cannabis uses are not allowed in residential districts.
Richmond's Zoning Ordinance, Chapter 30 of the City Code, lists permitted uses by district. Once the Virginia Cannabis Control Authority issues retail and processing licenses, cannabis businesses will be classed under the existing retail and light-industrial use categories with conditional-use overlays. Storefronts are expected to be limited to the B-2, B-4, M-1 and M-2 districts, subject to special-use permits in the UB and TOD districts. Cannabis cultivation and processing facilities will likely sit in M-1 and M-2 industrial districts. Residential, mixed-use residential, and historic-district overlays will exclude commercial cannabis uses entirely.
Operating a cannabis business in a non-permitted Richmond zoning district, or without a special-use permit where required, can result in zoning violations, daily fines and forced closure.
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See how Richmond's commercial cannabis zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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