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Brownsville, TX Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Few Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified July 2026

Key Facts

Dispensary Zoning
None; no Texas dispensaries
State Program
Compassionate Use, Chapter 487
Licensing Agency
Texas Department of Public Safety
Hemp and Vape Retail
1,000-foot buffer
Unlisted Use
Planning Director classifies

Summary

Brownsville has no dispensary zoning because Texas has no dispensaries to zone. The only lawful cannabis retail in Texas runs through the Compassionate Use Program's low-THC dispensing organizations, licensed by the Department of Public Safety.

E-cigarette retailers shall be prohibited within 1,000 feet of a church, hospital, daycare, or public or private primary or secondary school campuses.

Source: Brownsville Code of Ordinances & Unified Development CodeView official code

Full Breakdown

A full-text search of the Brownsville Code returns zero results for cannabis, marijuana, and dispensary. Texas authorizes no recreational or general medical dispensaries. The Compassionate Use Program under Health and Safety Code Chapter 487 licenses a capped set of dispensing organizations through the Texas Department of Public Safety, and none operates in Brownsville. A dispensing organization seeking to open here would be an unlisted use, classified by the Planning Director under UDC section 4.4.2. What Brownsville does regulate is hemp and vape retail: section 4.4.4(19) bars an e-cigarette retailer within 1,000 feet of a church, hospital, daycare, or school, and folds CBD, delta-8, delta-9, and THCA sales into the gross-receipts test that triggers the buffer.

Violations & Fines

Operating an e-cigarette or hemp retailer inside the 1,000-foot buffer violates the UDC and draws zoning enforcement. Selling marijuana itself remains a state criminal offense prosecuted by Cameron County.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a marijuana dispensary open in Brownsville?
No. Texas licenses only low-THC Compassionate Use dispensing organizations through DPS, and none is in Brownsville. The city's code contains no dispensary use category at all.
Where can a CBD or vape shop locate?
Outside a 1,000-foot buffer around churches, hospitals, daycares, and primary or secondary schools, under UDC section 4.4.4(19). Hemp, delta-8, and THCA sales count toward the gross-receipts test.
How is the 1,000 feet measured?
Front door to front door for a church or hospital. For a daycare or school, a direct line from the closest corner of that property line to the closest property line of the business.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Brownsville

Animal Ordinances: Chickens & LivestockSome RestrictionsHome CultivationFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Leaf Blower RulesFew RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Amplified Music & Outdoor SoundSome RestrictionsAnimal Ordinances: Wildlife FeedingFew RestrictionsFire Regulations: Wildfire ZonesFew RestrictionsLandscaping Rules: Tree Removal & Heritage TreesSome Restrictions

All Brownsville rules

Texas rules heatmap·Compare Brownsville to another location·View the Texas cannabis regulations overview

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