Hollywood, FL Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- § 3.23(D), Zoning and Land Development Regulations
- Buffer distance
- Half mile from pharmacies, pain clinics, dispensing facilities
- Variance policy
- No variances permitted under § 3.23
- Max fine
- $1,000/day; $5,000/day for repeat violations
- Appeal window
- 30 days to Broward County Circuit Court
Summary
Hollywood treats a medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facility as a pharmacy under its zoning code, so it cannot open within a half mile of another dispensing facility, a Pharmacy of 9,000 square feet, or a Pain Management Clinic. The city has not opted out of dispensing facilities; siting instead runs entirely through this pharmacy-style distance test.
D. There shall be a ½ mile distance separation requirement, however no more than one of the below described uses may be located within the same property, for Pharmacies of 9,000 sq. ft. from the following uses: 1. Preexisting Pain Management Clinics; 2. Preexisting Pharmacies. Pharmacies of 9,000 sq. ft. that have been in existence for 25 continuous years in the same location as of the effective date of this ordinance... For purposes of this section, a medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facility shall be treated as a pharmacy.
Full Breakdown
23(D) folds a medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facility into the definition of a Pharmacy for siting purposes citywide. A dispensing facility must sit at least a half mile from any other dispensing facility, from a Pharmacy of 9,000 square feet or larger, and from a Pain Management Clinic, and only one of those competing uses may occupy a given property. A narrow carve-out lets a large pharmacy that has occupied one site for 25 straight years relocate without triggering the rule if government action forces the move, but it gets only 18 months to complete that relocation before the standard separation applies again.
23 distance requirement. Applicants confirm compliance when they apply to the city for the Certificate of Use required before opening, and the reviewing department checks the half-mile radius against every existing pharmacy, pain clinic, and dispensing facility on record before signing off.
Violations & Fines
Operating a dispensing facility inside the half-mile buffer without an approved Certificate of Use is a code violation referred to the Special Magistrate under Chapter 36. Section 36.29 authorizes fines up to $1,000 per day the violation continues, rising to $5,000 per day for a repeat violation, plus a lien recordable against the property; where no distance-specific penalty applies, § 10.99's general penalty of a $500 fine or 60 days' imprisonment governs, with each day a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a marijuana dispensary open anywhere in Hollywood?
Has Hollywood opted out of medical marijuana dispensaries?
What happens if a dispensary opens inside the buffer?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Hollywood
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Hollywood to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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Dispensary Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in Broward County handle dispensary zoning.