Redwood City, CA Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Section 32.165, the general operating requirements every permitted cannabis business must follow, sets subsection V: 'Cannabis and cannabis products may not be inhaled, smoked, eaten, ingested, vaped, or otherwise used or consumed at the premises, in the parking areas of the premises, within three hundred (300) feet of the premises on the public right-of-way, or in those areas restricted under the provisions of California Health and Safety Code Section 11362.79.' That state statute already bars smoking or vaping cannabis anywhere smoking tobacco is prohibited, in any public place, or near a school, day care, or youth center; Redwood City's 300-foot right-of-way buffer around every licensed dispensary, delivery center, or nursery adds a further local no-consumption zone specific to cannabis retail locations. The same Section 32.165 also bars the sale or consumption of alcohol and tobacco on a cannabis business's premises or parking area (subsection U) and requires the business to log any public nuisance activity, including illegal drug activity or public drunkenness, occurring on-site or within that same 300-foot radius (subsections L and M).

Enforcement runs through the cannabis business permit rather than a separate public-consumption citation: the City Manager must suspend or revoke a permit if the operator 'has violated any of the requirements of the Municipal Code including the operating conditions set forth in this Division,' or if the business is run in a manner that is a public nuisance within 300 feet of the premises (Section 32.163). A permittee facing suspension or revocation can appeal in writing to the Hearing Officer within 10 City working days, with a hearing set within 20 working days (Section 32.164).