Eugene, OR Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Permitted zones
- C-1, C-2, C-3, and GO commercial zones
- Separation distance
- 1,000 feet from another retail marijuana premises
- Measurement method
- straight-line radius, closest point to closest point
- State license required
- OLCC retail license under ORS 475B.105
- Max civil penalty
- $2,000 per day under EC 2.018
- Code currency
- current through Ordinance 20739, June 8, 2026
Summary
Eugene classifies a licensed marijuana retailer as a Specialty Store, permitted by right in the C-1, C-2, C-3 and GO commercial zones under Table 9.2160. EC 9.2161(10) then bars any retail marijuana premises from locating within 1,000 feet of another one anywhere in the city, current through Ordinance 20739 of June 8, 2026.
(10) Separation between Retail Marijuana Uses. No portion of the premises of a retail marijuana use may be located within 1,000 feet from the premises of another retail marijuana use.
(a) “Premises” means the location of a retail marijuana use described in a license issued by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission pursuant to ORS 475B.105.
(b) “Retail Marijuana Use” means a recreational marijuana retail facility licensed by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission pursuant to ORS 475B.105.
(c) “Within 1,000 Feet” means a straight line measurement in a radius extending for 1,000 feet or less in every direction from the closest point anywhere on the premises of a retail marijuana use to the closest point anywhere on the premises of another retail marijuana use.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 20739, passed June 8, 2026).
Full Breakdown
The zoning table lists a marijuana retailer under the generic "Specialty Store" use category, marked P(10) in C-1 and C-3, P(1)(10) in C-2, and P(2)(10) in GO, meaning it is permitted outright subject only to the special use limitation numbered 10. 105. The 1,000-foot line is measured as a straight-line radius from the closest point of one licensed premises to the closest point of the other, not along streets and not lot-line to lot-line. 3146(1)(m), so the 1,000-foot spacing applies wherever retail marijuana is an allowed use, not just in the base commercial zones.
The code sets no separate distance requirement from schools, parks or daycares; any such buffer comes from the state's own OLCC licensing process under ORS 475B, not from Eugene's land use code. Because the code affirmatively zones for the use rather than excluding it, Eugene has not opted out of allowing licensed recreational marijuana retailers, unlike some Oregon jurisdictions that declined under the 2015 local-option law. 105 is a separate prerequisite the city does not issue itself.
Violations & Fines
A retail marijuana use sited in violation of the 1,000-foot separation, or opened outside a zone where it is listed as permitted, is a land use code violation. Under EC 2.018, the city manager or designee must first pursue voluntary correction and, absent an immediate health or safety threat, allow at least five calendar days to cure before imposing an administrative civil penalty of up to $2,000 per day. A cited operator may appeal the penalty to a hearings officer under EC 2.021, with the burden of proof on the city.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a marijuana retailer open anywhere in Eugene?
Does Eugene require a buffer from schools or parks?
Has Eugene banned or opted out of marijuana retail sales?
How exactly is the 1,000-foot separation measured?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Eugene
Compare Eugene to another location·View the Oregon cannabis regulations overview
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