Charles County, MD Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

200 of § 297-212 permits cannabis dispensary operations with conditions in the BP (Business Park), CC (Commercial Center), CB (Commercial Business), IG (Industrial General), IH (Industrial Heavy) and PEP (Planned Employment Park) Zones, together with buildings incidental to the dispensary. Before opening, the operator must have approval or preapproval of a license from the Maryland Cannabis Administration and give the County documentation of that valid license; the zoning approval is contingent on the state license. Once located, the dispensary must sit at least 1,000 feet from the property line of any school, day-care facility, substance rehabilitation facility or other dispensary, and provide a Buffer Yard C to separate it from adjacent uses.

The code also caps market entry directly: no more than three licensed dispensary operations may operate within any one Commissioner district, so a site plan in a district that already has three approved dispensaries cannot be approved regardless of zoning. Dispensaries are excluded from the AC, RC, RR and residential zones entirely, so an applicant has to confirm both the zoning district and the current district-wide dispensary count with the Planning and Growth Management Department before committing to a location.