Tonawanda, NY Cannabis Regulations: Cannabis Delivery Rules (2026)

Section 215-24.14.B of the Zoning Law treats cannabis distribution, delivery, processing and cultivation as a distinct track from retail dispensaries under Subsection A. Any production or supplying use in these categories must submit an energy use plan as part of its special use permit and site plan review application. That plan has to include an electrical system overview, the proposed energy demand, the ventilation system and air quality controls, the proposed water system and utility demand, and a description of the best practices the operator will use to hold down demand on public infrastructure.

The Planning Board's review does not stop at energy: § 215-24.14.B(2) lists additional criteria the Board must weigh, including air quality impacts, wastewater management, solid waste disposal, odor control, and buffering from residential districts and uses. Because the Town did not opt out of licensed cannabis activity under New York State Cannabis Law (its Chapter 59 opt-out reaches only on-site consumption sites), a cultivation, processing or delivery operator can locate in the Town, but only after clearing this special use and site plan process the same way a dispensary clears Subsection A.

The Code Enforcement Officer administers Chapter 215 enforcement, and the Planning Board holds the public hearing on the special use permit application before any cannabis production, delivery or distribution use may begin operating on the site.