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Sedona, AZ Public Conduct: Public Marijuana Use (2026)

Heavy Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Covered locations
City property, parks, sidewalks, public places
Includes vaping
Yes, defined as smoking
Legal age for private use
21 years old
Violation type
Civil code offense
Marijuana establishments
Prohibited citywide

Summary

Sedona makes it unlawful to smoke or consume marijuana anywhere on city-owned property, in any public park, sidewalk or pedestrian thoroughfare, or in any public place as defined by the Smoke-Free Arizona Act. The ban applies even though recreational marijuana is legal under state law for adults 21 and over, and it is enforced as a civil code offense.

The use, sale, cultivation, manufacture, production or distribution of marijuana or marijuana products is prohibited on property that is occupied, owned, controlled or operated by the city. ... It is unlawful for an individual to smoke marijuana or marijuana products or consume marijuana products on property that is occupied, owned, controlled or operated by the city. ... It is unlawful for an individual to smoke marijuana or marijuana products or consume marijuana products in any open space in the city. ... It is unlawful for an individual to smoke marijuana or marijuana products in a public place in the city. ... Except as otherwise provided in A.R.S. § 36-2853, any violations of this chapter shall be civil code offenses which may be adjudicated and enforced as set forth in SCC 1.15.010.

View official code

Official source re-checked September 8, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: current through Initiative Ordinance 2026-01, approved by voters at the July 21, 2026 election).

Full Breakdown

030 imposes four overlapping public-use restrictions. Subsection (A) bars the use, sale, cultivation, manufacture, production or distribution of marijuana or marijuana products anywhere on property occupied, owned, controlled or operated by the city. Subsection (B) separately makes it unlawful to smoke or consume marijuana products on that same city property. Subsection (C) extends the smoking and consumption ban to any 'open space,' which the chapter defines as a public park, public sidewalk, public walkway or public pedestrian thoroughfare. 01. 'Smoke' is defined broadly to include using an electronic cigarette or vaping device to heat, vaporize or atomize marijuana or marijuana products, so vaping in a covered location is treated the same as combustion.

60 goes on to prohibit any marijuana establishment or testing facility in the city outright, other than a dual licensee operating a nonprofit medical dispensary and a recreational establishment cooperatively from one shared location.

Violations & Fines

A violation of the public-use ban is a civil code offense under SCC 8.60.070(B), enforced under the procedures in the city's general penalty section, SCC 1.15.010, except where Arizona's marijuana statute, A.R.S. § 36-2853, otherwise controls. Each day a violation continues is charged as a separate offense, and the code allows the city to pursue this remedy in addition to any other applicable federal, state or local penalty.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I smoke marijuana in a Sedona city park?
No. Sedona City Code § 8.60.030(C) defines 'open space' to include public parks, sidewalks, walkways and pedestrian thoroughfares, and it bars smoking or consuming marijuana products in any of them, regardless of your age or medical status.
Does vaping marijuana count the same as smoking it under this rule?
Yes. Section 8.60.020 defines 'smoke' to include using an electronic cigarette or vaping device to heat, vaporize or atomize marijuana or marijuana products, so the public-use ban in § 8.60.030 applies fully to vaping devices as well.
Is recreational marijuana legal in Sedona at all?
Personal, private adult use is allowed under state law and the chapter's own purpose section, but Sedona separately prohibits marijuana establishments, retail sale, cultivation and manufacturing citywide except for a dual medical/recreational licensee, and it bans public consumption entirely.
What's the penalty for smoking marijuana in public in Sedona?
It's charged as a civil code offense under SCC 8.60.070(B), handled through the city's general civil citation procedure in SCC 1.15.010, with each day of a continuing violation counted as a separate, independently punishable offense.

Sources & Official References

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