Denton, TX Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Texas has not legalized recreational marijuana, and therefore no recreational cannabis dispensaries may operate in Denton or elsewhere in the state. The Texas Compassionate Use Act (Health and Safety Code Chapter 487) establishes a highly restricted program allowing licensed dispensing organizations to cultivate, process, and dispense low-THC cannabis containing no more than one percent THC by weight to registered patients with qualifying medical conditions. Dispensing organizations must be licensed by the Texas Department of Public Safety and are limited in number statewide. As of the current program, only three licensed dispensing organizations operate in all of Texas, and none are located in Denton.

The Denton Development Code does not include a zoning category or specific use permit process for cannabis dispensaries because state law does not authorize local jurisdictions to permit recreational sales. 3 percent THC are legal under the 2018 Farm Bill and Texas House Bill 1325 and may be sold at retail locations in Denton without any special cannabis-specific zoning approval. Businesses selling only legal hemp-derived CBD products operate under standard retail zoning classifications. Any future changes to Texas cannabis law would require corresponding amendments to the Denton Development Code before dispensaries could be locally permitted.