El Paso County, CO Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Status
- Prohibited countywide
- Authority
- Ordinance 13-01
- Definition source
- Colo. Const. Art. XVIII § 16
- Medical marijuana
- Separately licensed, not banned
Summary
Unincorporated El Paso County prohibits retail marijuana stores, along with marijuana cultivation, product manufacturing, and testing facilities, under Ordinance 13-01, so no dispensary zoning or buffer standard exists.
Marijuana Cultivation Facilities, Marijuana Product Manufacturing Facilities, Marijuana Testing Facilities, Retail Marijuana Stores -- These uses, as defined in Article XVIII, Section 16 of the Colorado Constitution, are prohibited in unincorporated El Paso County in accordance with Ordinance 13-01.
Marijuana Land Use, Medical -- Medical Marijuana Land Use shall mean and include only the following land uses which are defined in and subject to licensing pursuant to § CRS 12-43-101 et. seq.
--Medical Marijuana Center
--Medical Marijuana Infused Products Manufacturer
--Optional Premises Cultivation Center
Marijuana, Personal Cultivation of -- The growing or processing of marijuana plants, including the extraction of THC or other cannabinoids, as a patient or caregiver pursuant to Article XVIII, Section 14 of the Colorado Constitution or for personal use pursuant to Article XVIII, Section 16 of the Colorado Constitution.
Massage Business -- An establishment providing massage, but does not include training rooms of public and private schools accredited by the State Board of Education or approved by the division charged with the responsibility of approving private occupational schools, training rooms of recognized professional or amateur athletic teams, and licensed health care facilities. A facility which is operated for the purpose of massage therapy performed by a massage therapist is a massage business.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Land Development Code: Supplement 3 | Drainage Criteria Manual: Publication | Engineering Criteria Manual: Supplement 3 | Ordinances: Reformat).
Full Breakdown
The Land Development Code's definitions section states that marijuana cultivation facilities, marijuana product manufacturing facilities, marijuana testing facilities, and retail marijuana stores, all defined in Article XVIII, Section 16 of the Colorado Constitution, are prohibited outright in unincorporated El Paso County under County Ordinance 13-01. Because the use is banned entirely rather than zoned, Table 5-1's use tables carry no district, buffer, or special-use pathway for a retail marijuana store; only medical marijuana land uses licensed under C.R.S. § 12-43-101 are addressed elsewhere in the Code.
Violations & Fines
Operating a retail marijuana store, cultivation facility, product manufacturing facility, or testing facility anywhere in unincorporated El Paso County violates Ordinance 13-01 and the Code's use definitions, regardless of zoning district or buffer distance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there a marijuana dispensary in unincorporated El Paso County?
Does the ban cover marijuana growing and testing too?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in El Paso County
Compare El Paso County to another location·View the Colorado cannabis regulations overview
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