Hanover County, VA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Hanover's Zoning Ordinance defines "Recreational Substances" in § 26-6 to include tobacco products, noncombustible nicotine or vaping products, processed hemp products including anything derived from hemp added to food or beverages, Kratom, and the pipes, vaporizers and accessories used with them; a "Recreational Substances, retail store" is any retail establishment where 15 percent or more of display space is devoted to those products, or that allows on-site use of them in any amount. The definition doesn't reference marijuana, and Virginia has not established a licensed adult-use marijuana retail program, so this is the closest zoning category the county code carries to a cannabis-adjacent retail use; it functions as Hanover's local control point for hemp-derived and vaping or tobacco retailers.

The use is not permitted by right anywhere: it appears only as a conditional use, requiring Board of Supervisors approval, in the B-2 Community Business District under § 26-120(16), and the code's chapter outline places the identical conditional use in the M-1 Limited Industrial and M-2 Light Industrial Districts as well. m. Exterior lighting can't impair drivers' vision, and interior lighting, including neon or LED rope lighting, can't be visible from the public right-of-way or adjacent property. The Board can modify or add conditions to any of these standards when it approves the conditional use permit.