Columbus, OH Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted zone
- C-4 Commercial District only
- Not listed in
- C-1, C-2, C-3 districts
- Old buffer rule
- § 3389.151, repealed Feb. 2025
- Penalty
- First-degree misdemeanor, per day
Summary
Columbus zoning confines an Ohio Division of Cannabis Control dispensary to the C-4 Regional Scale Commercial District: it is not a listed use in the C-1, C-2, or C-3 commercial districts under Title 33.
The following are uses permitted in the C-4, Commercial District; however these are not meant to be exhaustive nor an exclusive listing... B.Commercial uses allowing dwelling units above the primary use, including: ... Ohio Division of Cannabis Control Dispensary ...
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 85 | Form Based Code: ?).
Full Breakdown
Columbus City Codes § 3356.03 lists "Ohio Division of Cannabis Control Dispensary" among the permitted uses in the C-4, Regional Scale Commercial District. That same use does not appear in the permitted-use lists for the C-1 (§ 3351.03), C-2 (§ 3353.03), or C-3 (§ 3355.03) districts, so a dispensary can locate by right only where C-4 zoning applies. The code's earlier dispensary-specific siting rule, § 3389.151 (distance separation for a Medical Marijuana Control Program retail dispensary), was repealed by Ordinance No. 0162-2025 on February 10, 2025, leaving no separate buffer or distance-separation standard for dispensaries in Title 33 today. This governs the long-standing Title 33 zoning map; Columbus's newer 2024 Zoning Code (Title 34) applies in separately designated corridor areas.
Violations & Fines
Operating outside a C-4-zoned parcel without an approved use violates the Zoning Code. Under § 3305.99, each day of noncompliance is a separate first-degree misdemeanor, enforced by the Department of Building and Zoning Services.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a dispensary open in a C-2 office-commercial zone in Columbus?
Is there a minimum distance a Columbus dispensary must keep from schools or homes?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Columbus
Compare Columbus to another location·View the Ohio cannabis regulations overview
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