Showing ordinances that apply to Sandia Heights, NM
Sandia Heights is an unincorporated community (population 3,273) in Bernalillo County, New Mexico. Because Sandia Heights is not an incorporated city, it does not have its own municipal code. Instead, Bernalillo County ordinances apply directly to properties here. The dispensary zoning rules below are the ones that govern your area.
Albuquerque IDO (amended 2021) allows licensed cannabis retail in most commercial and mixed-use zones with a 300 ft buffer from K-12 schools and daycare (NMSA §26-2C-14). Bernalillo County allows retail in C-1 and C-2 with similar buffers. Local licensing on top of state Cannabis Control Division approval.
Following the 2021 Cannabis Regulation Act, Albuquerque amended its IDO (effective 2021-2022) to permit Cannabis Retail Establishments in MX-L, MX-M, MX-H, NR-C, NR-BP, and all commercial zones as a permissive use, with stricter conditional-use review in some mixed-use zones. State law (NMSA §26-2C-14) imposes a 300 ft buffer from K-12 schools and licensed daycare. Bernalillo County's zoning code permits cannabis retail in C-1 Neighborhood Commercial and C-2 Community Commercial districts subject to the same 300 ft school buffer. Operating hours in Albuquerque are typically 7 AM to 10 PM under state license conditions. Local jurisdictions cannot ban cannabis retail entirely — the CRA preempts municipal bans — but can impose reasonable time/place/manner regulations. Security requirements include video surveillance, alarms, and secure storage under NM Cannabis Control Division rules (NMAC 16.8). On-premises consumption lounges require separate licensing.
Unlicensed operation: state felony under NMSA §30-31-20 plus local zoning enforcement. Buffer violations: state license revocation. Zoning code violations: $500 to $5,000 under IDO §14-16-6-9.
See how Sandia Heights's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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