Stratford, CT Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Stratford did not ban cannabis. Section 4.4.10 of the Zoning Regulations says its purpose is to accommodate the production and dispensing of cannabis, with limitation to acceptable locations, conditions and standards within the Town of Stratford, while protecting public safety and health, residential neighborhoods, commercial districts, property values and quality of life.

Section 4.4.10(B) confines dispensary facilities, retailers and hybrid retailers to six districts: LBB, CA, CF, CNC, MA and MB. In the CF district the standards of Section 4.4.17C2) also apply. Producers, micro-cultivators, food and beverage manufacturers, product manufacturers, delivery services and transporters are narrower still: only the MA and MB districts. Section 4.4.10(E)(i) limits the town to no more than two dispensary facilities, retailers or hybrid retailers, and separately to no more than two producers or micro-cultivators.

Every cannabis use needs a special permit from the Zoning Commission under Section 7.3.4. Under Section 4.4.10(D), the Commission must find that the use meets the Connecticut General Statutes criteria and the stated purposes of the section, and must consider proximity to residential areas, schools, parks and similar places. The site plan has to show all other land uses within a one-half-mile radius. Approval is conditional on obtaining the Department of Consumer Protection permit: the approval is finalized when the Commission receives a copy, and it expires automatically if the permit is not provided within six months, with a six-month extension available once a state application is filed.

Operating limits in Section 4.4.10(E)(ii) include a permanent building, hours of 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., no drive-through service and no outdoor seating areas. No cannabis establishment can sit in a building or portion used for residential purposes. A ventilation and odor control plan is required with the building permit application.