Tehama County, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 17.09.040
- Dispensaries permitted
- none: prohibited countywide
- Applies to
- every zoning district
- Related rule
- commercial cultivation also banned, Ch. 9.06
- Scope
- unincorporated Tehama County only
Summary
Unincorporated Tehama County, California has opted out of commercial cannabis retail entirely: marijuana dispensaries are prohibited in every zoning district, with no permit or variance available.
Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code, the establishment, development, construction, maintenance, or operation of a marijuana dispensary is hereby prohibited, and is not a permitted or conditionally permitted use in any zoning district, even if located within an otherwise permitted use. No person shall establish, develop, construct, maintain, or operate a marijuana dispensary, and no application for a building permit, use permit, variance, or any other entitlement authorizing the establishment, development, construction, maintenance, or operation of any marijuana dispensary shall be approved by the County of Tehama or any officer or employee thereof.
(Ord. No. 1957, § 1, 6-28-2011)
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 23).
Full Breakdown
Tehama County Code § 17.09.040 flatly prohibits marijuana dispensaries: the section bars the establishment, development, construction, maintenance, or operation of a dispensary anywhere in the county, stating it is not a permitted or conditionally permitted use in any zoning district, even inside an otherwise allowed business. The county will not approve a building permit, use permit, variance, or any other entitlement for one. Chapter 9.06 separately declares any commercial cannabis cultivation activity an unlawful nuisance countywide. Together these amount to a full local opt-out of commercial cannabis retail. This ban applies only in the unincorporated area of Tehama County; Red Bluff, Corning, and the City of Tehama set their own cannabis business rules.
Violations & Fines
Operating, developing, or maintaining a marijuana dispensary is prohibited outright under § 17.09.040; no permit or entitlement can authorize one, and the county will not approve related applications.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a cannabis dispensary in unincorporated Tehama County?
Does the county allow commercial cannabis cultivation instead?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Tehama County
California rules heatmap·Compare Tehama County to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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