Palm Beach County, FL Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Zoning treatment
- Classified as Retail Sales use
- School buffer
- 500 feet from K-12 schools
- Buffer relief
- Type 2 Waiver by County Commission
- Recreational sales
- Not legal anywhere in Florida
- Applies to
- Unincorporated Palm Beach County only
Summary
Unincorporated Palm Beach County treats medical marijuana dispensaries as a retail sales use, but bars them within 500 feet of any elementary or secondary school unless the County Commission grants a Type 2 Waiver.
i. Medical Marijuana Dispensing Facility 1) Definition A facility, operated by a Medical Marijuana Treatment Center (MMTC) in accordance with the Florida Department of Health as a medical marijuana dispensing facility that dispenses medical marijuana to qualified patients or caregivers. A medical marijuana dispensing facility does not prepare, transfer, cultivate, or process any form of marijuana or marijuana product. 2) Location Medical marijuana dispensing facility shall not be located within 500 feet of an existing Elementary or Secondary School, unless approved as a Type 2 Waiver.
Full Breakdown
The Unified Land Development Code classifies a Medical Marijuana Dispensing Facility as a type of Retail Sales use, so a dispensary can locate wherever Retail Sales is a permitted use in unincorporated Palm Beach County: the county's commercial zoning districts and commercial pods, not a standalone cannabis category. The one dispensary-specific standard is a location rule: the facility cannot sit within 500 feet of an existing elementary or secondary school. That buffer can only be waived through a Type 2 Waiver, and the Board of County Commissioners must find that the dispensary's location promotes the community's health, safety, and welfare before granting it. Florida legalizes only medical marijuana; recreational sales remain illegal statewide, so there is no adult-use dispensary zoning here or anywhere else in Florida.
Violations & Fines
Operating a dispensary inside the 500-foot school buffer without an approved Type 2 Waiver is a zoning code violation; County Zoning Enforcement can order the use stopped and require relocation or closure until the standard is met or a waiver is secured.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a medical marijuana dispensary open near a school in unincorporated Palm Beach County?
What zoning districts allow a dispensary in unincorporated Palm Beach County?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Palm Beach County
Florida rules heatmap·Compare Palm Beach County to another location·View the Florida cannabis regulations overview
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