Providence permits licensed cannabis retailers in commercial and industrial districts subject to RI's 500-foot buffer from schools and city zoning approval; the RICCC caps statewide retail licenses by zone.
Rhode Island's Cannabis Control Commission issues retail licenses in six geographic zones, with Providence falling within Zone 1. State law requires a minimum 500-foot setback from K-12 schools (measured property line to property line). Providence Zoning Code Chapter 35 lists cannabis retail as a use permitted by special-use approval in C-2 commercial and M-1 industrial districts and prohibits it in residential and historic districts. Operators must also obtain a city license, undergo Police Department background review, and meet security/odor-control plans. Voters had the right to ban retail by referendum during the 2022-2023 opt-out window, and Providence chose not to ban.
Operating without state and city approvals or within 500 feet of a school can lead to license revocation, daily fines, and seizure of inventory.
Providence, RI
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See how Providence's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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