Rialto, CA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- Governing section
- RMC 18.115.030, Prohibition of commercial marijuana
- Scope of ban
- All zones citywide, medical and adult-use
- State licenses covered
- All Bus. & Prof. Code Sec. 26050 categories
- Only exception
- Personal cultivation under RMC Chapter 9.53
- Enforcement
- Public nuisance abatement, RMC Ch. 18.72
Summary
Rialto prohibits every form of commercial marijuana activity, medical or recreational, in every zone in the city, and will not issue a permit, license or entitlement for cultivation, manufacturing, testing, distribution or retail sales.
A. All commercial marijuana activities, whether medical or recreational (adult use) and including non-profit operations, are expressly prohibited in all zones (except for as preempted by state law). No person shall establish, operate, conduct, or allow commercial marijuana activities anywhere within the city except for as preempted by state law. B. The city shall not issue any permit, license, or entitlement for any commercial marijuana activity (except for as preempted by state law), including, but not limited to, any activity covered by the state license classifications listed below as provided for in Section 26050 of the Business and Professions Code... D. The prohibition provided by this section includes medical marijuana collectives and cooperatives that operate pursuant to Section 11362.775 of the Health and Safety Code, the Compassionate Use Act, or otherwise.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 39).
Full Breakdown
030, Prohibition of commercial marijuana activities, bars all commercial marijuana activities citywide, whether medical or recreational, including non-profit operations, except to the extent state law preempts local control. No person may establish, operate, conduct or allow a commercial marijuana activity anywhere in the city, and the city will not issue a permit, license or entitlement for any of the twenty state license classifications under Business and Professions Code Section 26050, from small specialty cultivation through manufacturing, testing labs, retail, distribution and microbusinesses. 775 or the Compassionate Use Act.
030, meaning any use not expressly listed as permitted is prohibited by default, so the marijuana ban is written to fully satisfy state law's requirements for a city that opts out of licensing commercial cannabis. 53, which allows personal marijuana cultivation as state law requires; that exception does not open the door to any commercial storefront, delivery service or cultivation operation. 72.
Violations & Fines
Operating a commercial marijuana business in Rialto is a violation punishable under Chapters 1.10 and 1.16 of the municipal code, and the activity is independently declared a public nuisance under Section 18.115.040 that the city can abate or enjoin. The person causing the nuisance, including the property owner, is liable for abatement costs and attorneys' fees, and civil, criminal or administrative remedies may be pursued together rather than as substitutes for one another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a cannabis dispensary in Rialto?
Does Rialto allow medical marijuana collectives?
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Sources & Official References
Other rules in Rialto
California rules heatmap·Compare Rialto to another location·View the California cannabis regulations overview
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