Petaluma, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Dispensary status
- Prohibited except per §6.10.040 exceptions
- On-site retail cap
- 3 locations citywide
- Delivery-only retail cap
- 2 locations citywide
- Personal cultivation limit
- 6 plants per private residence
- Delivery hours
- 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.
Summary
Petaluma bans cannabis dispensaries outright except for the narrow carve-outs the city itself created: Petaluma Municipal Code Section 6.10.040 caps on-site cannabis retail at three locations citywide and delivery-only cannabis retail at two locations, each requiring a valid city permit and a spot where cannabis uses are allowed under the zoning regulations.
6.10.030 Prohibition of dispensaries. It is unlawful for any person to engage in, conduct or carry on, or to permit to be engaged in, conducted or carried on, in the city of Petaluma, the operation of a dispensary, except for dispensaries that qualify for the exception in Section 6.10.040(D). ... 6.10.040 Commercial cannabis activity. ... ... D. Retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products using a delivery-only method in accordance with Section 6.10.060, at a maximum of two different locations in the city, with no sale of cannabis or cannabis products to customers, primary caregivers or qualified patients occurring at the business location, no customers, primary caregivers or qualified patients permitted at the business location at any time, and no signage at the business location or on the delivery vehicles indicating the presence of cannabis or cannabis products or that the seller sells cannabis or cannabis products. ... ... E. Retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products ... at a maximum of three different locations in the city to customers, primary caregivers and qualified patients occurring on site at the business location.
Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Ordinance 2931 NCS, passed July 6, 2026).
Full Breakdown
040(D). 040(A) then makes clear that any commercial cannabis activity is unlawful unless it fits one of the specific exceptions in subsections B through E and is conducted under a current, valid city license or permit and in an area where the use is allowed by the city's zoning regulations. Subsection D allows delivery-only retail at a maximum of two locations citywide, with no sales occurring at the location, no customers permitted on site, and no exterior signage disclosing that cannabis is sold there. Subsection E separately allows on-site retail sale at a maximum of three locations citywide where customers, primary caregivers and qualified patients can be served in person; a business combining both delivery and on-site sales at one address counts against both caps simultaneously.
040(C) allows testing laboratories outright. 050, which permits up to six living cannabis plants at a private residence, indoors or outdoors combined, without any city permit, subject to enclosure, odor, lighting and no-generator conditions. 070 bars the city from issuing any other permit, business license, or home occupation permit to a cannabis operation that does not fit within these exceptions.
Violations & Fines
Operating a dispensary or engaging in commercial cannabis activity outside the permitted exceptions is unlawful under Sections 6.10.030 and 6.10.040(A), and Section 6.10.100 (referenced in the chapter) treats prohibited cannabis activity as a public nuisance subject to the city's general nuisance abatement remedies. Any application for a business license, home occupation permit, or other entitlement for a nonconforming cannabis use must be denied under Section 6.10.070, citing that section as the basis for denial.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cannabis retail stores can operate in Petaluma?
Is it legal to grow cannabis at home in Petaluma?
Can any cannabis business get a business license in Petaluma if it doesn't fit the city's retail caps?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Petaluma
California rules heatmap·Compare Petaluma to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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