Under Florida Statute 381.986, Tarpon Springs must regulate medical marijuana dispensaries the same as pharmacies; the city repealed its 2017 moratorium and now permits MMTCs in zoning districts where pharmacies are allowed.
Florida Statute 381.986(11) preempts local zoning for Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers (MMTCs) by requiring municipalities that allow them to zone dispensaries identically to pharmacies. After an initial moratorium, Tarpon Springs adopted ordinances repealing the temporary ban and conforming its land development code to state law, so dispensaries are permitted in any district where a pharmacy may operate, subject to the same setbacks and use standards. The city may not impose stricter buffers from schools, parks, or churches than those that apply to pharmacies, and it cannot cap the number of dispensaries operating within city limits. Operators must still hold a valid state MMTC license.
Operating without state licensure or in non-pharmacy zones triggers code enforcement, business-license revocation, and state DOH penalties.
See how other cities in Pinellas County handle dispensary zoning.
See how Tarpon Springs's dispensary zoning rules stack up against other locations.
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