Haverhill, MA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

The City of Haverhill regulates cannabis businesses through the Licensed Marijuana Establishment Overlay Zone (LMEOZ), created by Zoning Ordinance § 9.7 in 2018. Section 9.7.3 makes clear the city has not banned the industry: no adult use marijuana establishment shall be permitted except in compliance with § 9.7, meaning compliant projects are allowed rather than prohibited outright. Section 9.7.4 restricts marijuana establishments to zones drawn on the City Engineer's Licensed Marijuana Establishments Overlay Zone map, dated December 7, 2018, which divides eligible parcels into three tiers: No Exclusions, No Retail Sales, and Retail Sales Only, plus a separate Medical Marijuana Overlay District zone with no exclusions.

Every establishment, regardless of zone, needs a special permit; § 9.7.6 names the City Council as the special permit granting authority, and a permit becomes void if meaningful construction has not begun within a year, if the license is sold or transferred, or if the business relocates. Section 9.7.5 caps the industry's overall footprint: the combined number of marijuana retailers and social consumption establishments cannot exceed 20% of the number of licensed package and liquor stores in Haverhill, though a business that already exceeds the cap when liquor licenses later decrease is allowed to remain.

No LME may operate within a half-mile of another licensed LME unless the City Council waives that spacing rule. Beyond location, § 9.7.8 bars outdoor storage of product, keeps all activity indoors, sets hours of 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a noon opening on Sundays, forbids on-site drive-throughs and alcohol sales, and requires odor and lighting controls reviewed by the Police Chief and City Council as part of the special permit application.