Canton, OH Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Section 1198.12(a)(3) limits dispensary hours of operation to 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., or other hours consistent with a marijuana dispensary permit issued by the State of Ohio, imposed as a condition of development approval. Section 1198.12(a)(4) flatly prohibits locating a medical marijuana facility or adult use cannabis operation in a residentially zoned area, steering dispensaries, cultivation facilities, processing facilities and testing laboratories toward Canton's commercial and industrial districts. Every such facility still needs a conditional use permit from the Board of Zoning Appeals under Section 1198.12, which reviews the general standards carried over from Section 1198.03 alongside cannabis-specific factors: impact on public safety, economic welfare, and the general welfare of the surrounding community with respect to odor, requiring a state-of-the-art filtration system; any disproportionate concentration of cannabis facilities nearby; and, for dispensaries, proximity to complementary medical or pharmaceutical uses such as pharmacies or physician offices.

Petitioners must comply with all local and state licensing requirements for cultivation, processing, dispensing and testing, and the conditional use permit expires if the petitioner has not obtained a state provisional license within one year of the Board's grant.