Cannabis Regulations in Paterson, NJ (2026)
2 verified cannabis regulations for Paterson, New Jersey, sourced directly from the municipal code and official government pages.
Verified from official government sources
Dispensary Zoning
Paterson has not opted out of cannabis businesses, it licenses six classes citywide, but overrides the state's default zoning so every class, including retailers, is permitted only in the I-1, I-2 and M-U zones.
Paterson Confines Cannabis to I-1, I-2, M-U
Significant RestrictionsPaterson City Code § 172-4.B
The default statutory standards for zoning of cannabis licensees — which would ordinarily authorize nonretailers in industrial zones, and retailers in commercial zones — shall under the authority of N.J.S.A. 24:6I-45 be superseded by the following standard: cannabis licensees of any kind shall be permitted uses only in I-1, I-2 and M-U Zones.
Buffer Zones
Paterson bars any cannabis license class from operating within 300 feet legal walking distance of a place of worship, a K-12 school, or a legal residence, with a grandfather clause for later-arriving neighbors.
Paterson Cannabis 300-Foot Buffer
Some RestrictionsPaterson City Code § 172-4.A
No Class of License or cannabis business shall operate within 300 feet legal walking distance as defined above from any place of worship or a school providing education for grades kindergarten through 12, or of any legal residence as defined above. However, if there were no such places of worship, schools, or legal residences with the said distance at the time of licensure, then subsequent cons...
Looking for Passaic County county-wide rules?
County ordinances apply to unincorporated areas and may supplement Paterson city rules.
Cannabis Regulations in Passaic County →