Spokane Valley, WA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)
Key Facts
- New retail sales
- Banned in all zoning districts
- Governing section
- SVMC § 19.85.030(A)-(B)
- Grandfather cutoff
- Operating before July 27, 2016
- Grandfathered buffer
- 1,000 ft from listed uses
- Other marijuana businesses
- Clubs, lounges, co-ops banned citywide
Summary
Spokane Valley's zoning code flatly states that 'new marijuana sales shall not be permitted within any zoning districts,' per SVMC § 19.85.030(A). Only marijuana retail stores already open and continuously operating before July 27, 2016 are grandfathered in as a legal nonconforming use.
A. New marijuana sales shall not be permitted within any zoning districts.
B. Marijuana sales uses in existence and in continuous and lawful operation prior to July 27, 2016, shall not be deemed nonconforming and shall be permitted as a legal use subject to the following: marijuana sales shall be located or maintained at least 1,000 feet from the nearest property line, measured from the nearest property line of the marijuana sales facility to the nearest property line of any one or more of the following uses:
1. Centennial Trail;
2. Appleway Trail;
3. Vacant or undeveloped parcels owned by public school districts as established in RCW Title 28A;
4. Vacant or undeveloped parcels owned by public library districts as established in Chapter 27.12 RCW...
Full Breakdown
' That closes every zoning district in the city, residential, commercial, and industrial alike, to a brand-new marijuana retail license. Subsection (B) carves out the only path a retail store has: locations 'in existence and in continuous and lawful operation prior to July 27, 2016, shall not be deemed nonconforming and shall be permitted as a legal use,' but only if the store also clears a 1,000-foot buffer from Centennial Trail, the Appleway Trail, vacant school- and library-district parcels, vacant City-owned parcels, City Hall, and CenterPlace.
A grandfathered store that closes or loses its state license does not get to reopen as a new licensee somewhere else in the city; the exemption in (B) runs with the specific location's continuous operation, not with the operator. 020. In practice, Spokane Valley has functioned as an opt-out city for new retail since 2016 even without a formal moratorium ordinance, since the ban lives directly in the zoning code's use standards.
Violations & Fines
Operating a marijuana retail store that opened after July 27, 2016, or that lost its grandfathered status under SVMC § 19.85.030(B), is both a zoning code violation processed under Chapter 17.100 SVMC and grounds for the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to act against the underlying state retail license, since the local zoning nonconformity determination and the state license are separate approvals that both have to hold.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I open a new marijuana dispensary in Spokane Valley?
How did existing marijuana stores stay open if new ones are banned?
Are marijuana lounges or private clubs allowed in Spokane Valley?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Spokane Valley
Compare Spokane Valley to another location·View the Washington cannabis regulations overview
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Dispensary Zoning in Nearby Cities
How other cities in this county handle dispensary zoning.