Madera County, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Dispensaries
- Prohibited countywide, no local licensing path
- Commercial operations
- Prohibited under § 18.87.060(A)
- Deliveries
- Banned regardless of origin or app platform
- Exceptions
- Licensed clinics, hospitals, hospices, elder care only
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Madera County, not city limits
- Enforcement
- Misdemeanor plus Level 1 abatement citation
Summary
Madera County bans marijuana dispensaries, commercial cannabis operations, and marijuana deliveries throughout the unincorporated county. Madera County Code Section 18.87.060 prohibits all three activities outright, carving out only a short list of state-licensed medical facilities, like clinics and hospices, that remain exempt from the dispensary ban while complying with state health law and local permitting.
A.Commercial Marijuana Operations. Commercial marijuana operations as defined in Section 18.87.030 are prohibited within the county.B.Dispensaries. Marijuana dispensaries as defined in Section 18.87.030 are prohibited within the county.C.Deliveries. The delivery of marijuana as defined in Section 18.87.030 is prohibited within the county, regardless of whether the delivery is initiated within or outside of the county, and regardless of whether a technology platform is used for delivery by the dispensary.D.Exceptions. The following facilities providing medical marijuana to patients are not subject to the dispensary ban provided they are in strict compliance with Health and Safety Code Sections 11362.5 and 11362.7 et seq., and all other state and local laws pertaining the uses, including zoning, permitting, and licensing requirements:•A clinic licensed pursuant to Chapter 1 (commencing with Section 1200) of Division 2 of the Health and Safety Code.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 52).
Full Breakdown
060 sits in the same chapter as the county's cultivation and consumption rules but addresses commercial activity separately. 030," and subsection (C) bans delivery of marijuana "regardless of whether the delivery is initiated within or outside of the county, and regardless of whether a technology platform is used for delivery by the dispensary," closing the door on app-based delivery from a licensed dispensary in a neighboring jurisdiction. 7, plus all applicable zoning, permitting, and licensing requirements. 020, states the county's intent that these provisions supersede any other conflicting provision of the code, while yielding where state or federal law otherwise controls.
070, which confines marijuana use to inside a private residence; this dispensary ban does not govern where marijuana may be consumed. 87 reaches the cities of Madera or Chowchilla, which sit outside the county's unincorporated zoning jurisdiction.
Violations & Fines
Operating a commercial marijuana operation is expressly listed as a Level 1 violation under Section 18.87.080(C), authorizing the sheriff or the director of community and economic development to order immediate abatement and pursue per-plant or per-incident administrative citations under Chapter 8.01. Violations are also misdemeanors punishable under Chapter 1.12, with each day a separate offense, and the county can recover enforcement costs, attorney's fees, and pursue injunctive relief against operators, property owners, and anyone facilitating a dispensary or delivery.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get marijuana delivered to my home in unincorporated Madera County?
Are any cannabis facilities allowed to operate?
Does this ban apply in the City of Madera?
What penalty does an illegal dispensary face?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Madera County
California rules heatmap·Compare Madera County to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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