Volusia County, FL Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Type Allowed
- Medical MMTCs only
- State Preemption
- FL §381.986(11)
- Buffer
- 500-1,000 ft schools
- Zones
- B-2, B-4, MU
- Hours
- 7 AM to 9 PM typical
Summary
Florida preempts local dispensary zoning under FL §381.986: MMTCs must be treated as standard pharmacies. Volusia jurisdictions set 500-foot school/church buffers. Dispensaries operate in Daytona, Deltona, Port Orange, and along US-92.
(11)  PREEMPTION. — Regulation of cultivation, processing, and delivery of marijuana by medical marijuana treatment centers is preempted to the state except as provided in this subsection. (a)  A medical marijuana treatment center cultivating or processing facility may not be located within 500 feet of the real property that comprises a public or private elementary school, middle school, or secondary school. (b)1.  A county or municipality may, by ordinance, ban medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facilities from being located within the boundaries of that county or municipality. A county or municipality that does not ban dispensing facilities under this subparagraph may not place specific limits, by ordinance, on the number of dispensing facilities that may locate within that county or municipality. 2.  A municipality may determine by ordinance the criteria for the location of, and other permitting requirements that do not conflict with state law or department rule for, medical marijuana treatment center dispensing facilities located within the boundaries of that municipality. A county may determine by ordinance the criteria for the location of, and other permitting requirements that do not conflict with state law or department rule for, all such dispensing facilities located within the unincorporated areas of that county. Except as provided in paragraph (c), a county or municipality may not enact ordinances for permitting or for determining the location of dispensing facilities which are more restrictive than its ordinances permitting or determining the locations for pharmacies licensed under chapter 465. A municipality or county may not charge a medical marijuana treatment center a [... truncated ...]
Full Breakdown
Florida §381.986(11) preempts local governments from regulating Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) differently than standard pharmacies. Volusia County and municipalities may only impose the same zoning rules applied to pharmacies like Walgreens and CVS. Most Volusia jurisdictions apply 500 to 1,000 ft buffers from public and private schools, licensed daycares, and some enforce buffers from churches and parks as part of pharmacy rules. MMTCs must operate in commercial and mixed-use zones (B-2, B-4, MU). Active dispensaries in Volusia include Trulieve in Daytona Beach (ISB/US-92 corridor), Curaleaf in Port Orange (US-1), Fluent in Deltona (SR-472), and Surterra in Ormond Beach. DeLand (home to Stetson University) imposes additional buffers. State law requires: Medical Marijuana Use Registry verification for every customer, seed-to-sale tracking, security (alarms, safes, cameras 24/7), operating hours 7 AM to 9 PM typical, no on-site consumption, no drive-thru in most jurisdictions, and no sales to non-patients. The 2024 Amendment 3 recreational cannabis ballot measure failed, so Florida remains medical-only.
Violations & Fines
Operating without MMTC license: criminal charges, facility closure, license revocation. Selling to non-patients: state fines $1,000 to $10,000 plus license action. Security violations: $500 to $5,000 per incident. Zoning violations: code enforcement fines.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Volusia County ban dispensaries?
Why are dispensaries mostly on US-92 and US-1?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Volusia County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Volusia County to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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