Pasadena, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Citywide retailer cap
- 6 retailers maximum, city-issued permits
- Per-district cap
- 3 retailers max per city council district
- Eligible zoning districts
- CO, CL, CG, CD, IG only
- Max retail size
- 15,000 sq ft floor area
- Hours
- 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
- Permits required
- Chapter 5.78 permit plus Section 17.50.066 use permit
Summary
Pasadena allows commercial cannabis retail but tightly rations it: Municipal Code Section 17.50.066(D) caps the city at six licensed retailers total, no more than three per council district, requires a use permit plus a Chapter 5.78 commercial cannabis permit, and confines retailers to five specific zoning districts.
D.Retailer. 1.Commercial Cannabis Permit Required. A cannabis retailer must obtain and maintain at all times a valid commercial cannabis permit as required by Chapter 5.78.2.Use Permit Required. A use permit is required to establish or operate as a cannabis retailer.3.Limitation on the Number of Retailers. a.No more than six (6) retailers may operate within the City of Pasadena at any one time and no more than six (6) permits shall be issued by the City of Pasadena for retailers to operate within the City of Pasadena; andb.No more than three (3) retailers may operate within a city council district at any one time.4.The maximum square footage of a retail use shall be 15,000 square feet.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 79 Update 2).
Full Breakdown
78. 066(D)(2) before opening. The Code hard-caps supply: no more than six retailers may operate in the city at any one time, and the City will issue no more than six retailer permits total, with a further limit of no more than three retailers per city council district, splitting the citywide cap across Pasadena's council districts rather than letting them cluster. A retail cannabis use is also capped at 15,000 square feet of floor area. Zoning-wise, retailers are confined to five commercial and industrial districts: CO (Commercial Office), CL (Commercial Limited), CG (Commercial General), CD (Central District), and IG (Industrial General); the Code lists no residential, PS, or other district as eligible.
, daily age-verification duties (18 for medicinal customers, 21 for adult-use), a controlled buzz-in entry system, licensed uniformed security, and inventory limited to daily anticipated demand. Delivery service may only run as an extension of a permitted retailer. A retailer's use permit automatically expires and becomes void if the business is discontinued for a continuous 12-month period, permanently retiring that slot within the six-citywide cap rather than banking it for later use.
Violations & Fines
Operating a cannabis retailer without both the Chapter 5.78 commercial cannabis permit and the Section 17.50.066 use permit, or exceeding the six-retailer citywide cap, is a violation of Chapter 5.78, which Section 5.78.240 treats as a public nuisance per se subject to injunctive relief, permit revocation, and disgorgement of proceeds. Section 5.78.250 additionally allows the City Attorney or District Attorney to prosecute violations as a misdemeanor, with fines up to $1,000, up to twelve months in city jail, or both, and each day of continued operation counted as a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cannabis dispensaries can operate in Pasadena?
What zoning districts allow a cannabis retailer?
What permits does a Pasadena dispensary need?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Pasadena
California rules heatmap·Compare Pasadena to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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