Taunton, MA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Chapter 222 governs recreational marijuana establishments in Taunton and requires both a waiver from the local licensing authority and a special permit from the Municipal Council under the Taunton Zoning Ordinance before a marijuana business can open, per Section 222-1(D). Section 222-2 then sets the applicable buffer: the 500-foot statutory buffer zone from schools is reduced to zero feet, but only for parcels that meet three conditions at once: the parcel sits within a Highway Business Zoning District, it lies within 500 feet of the parcel containing Taunton High School, Parker Middle School and Elizabeth Pole School, and it is separated from those school buildings by the Taunton River.

Outside that narrow carve-out, the standard 500-foot school buffer still applies citywide. Section 222-2(B) adds a separate spacing rule aimed at market concentration: the Municipal Council cannot license a marijuana retailer within 1,000 feet of another retailer that is classified by the Cannabis Control Commission as an Economic Empowerment Priority applicant or a Social Equity Program Participant, with distance measured in a straight line between entrances unless an impassible barrier requires measuring along the shortest travel path instead. Applicants must also score at least 33 on the City's host-community-agreement waiver scoring sheet and report back to the licensing authority within 90 days of receiving that waiver.