Montebello, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Montebello Municipal Code Section 5.90.020(A) makes it unlawful to operate, cause, allow or participate in any commercial cannabis activity in the city, covering cultivation, delivery, distribution, manufacturing, testing, transport, retail and microbusiness operations. Section 9.30.030 separately and explicitly bans medical marijuana dispensaries as a public nuisance, stating no dispensary may operate, locate or be permitted anywhere in the city. The only path around the general ban is Section 5.90.020(B)'s narrow exceptions: licensed clinics, health care facilities, hospices, personal indoor cultivation compliant with Chapter 9.60, and permittees who have entered into a development agreement with the city council, obtained a conditional use permit under Chapter 17.70, and secured the required state bureau license.

Section 5.90.060(A) confirms that even a permitted cannabis business may operate only in zones and locations the city has authorized under Title 17, and only on the specific premises named in its development agreement; Section 5.90.040(B) further conditions any commercial cannabis authorization on the city council first amending Title 17 to add the activity as a permitted land use. Delivery-only retailers must be closed to walk-in customers and sell exclusively by delivery. The city council retains sole discretion whether to solicit applications for a development agreement at all, so cannabis retail and dispensaries are not a by-right use anywhere in Montebello.