West Hartford, CT Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Under Section 177-16.10 of the zoning ordinance, cannabis establishments are permitted uses subject to conditions rather than a blanket ban, meaning West Hartford has not exercised the local opt-out available to Connecticut municipalities. The Town Council added this section in 2022 and amended it in 2024, replacing an earlier medical marijuana production and dispensary provision that had been on the books since 2014. Subsection C restricts cannabis retailers, hybrid retailers and dispensaries to the BN, BS and BG Zones. Subsection D sends cannabis production facilities, including producers, cultivators, micro-cultivators, food and beverage manufacturers, product manufacturers and product packagers, to the IE, IG, IP and IR industrial zones.

Subsection E requires site plan approval from the Town Planner under Section 177-42B before any cannabis establishment opens, and that approval cannot be granted until the applicant already holds a provisional state license for that license type and has shown compliance with state cannabis law. The same subsection caps the town at three approved cannabis retail establishments, regardless of how many BN, BS or BG-zoned parcels exist. Establishments must also clear the buffer distances in Section 177-16.10A and B, so a zone-compliant site can still be barred by proximity to a school, park, library or another cannabis retailer.