District of Columbia Statewide Rule
DC Cannabis Retailers: No Residential Zones, 400 Feet From Schools
Key Facts
- School/rec setback
- 400 ft (300 ft grandfathered)
- Residential districts
- Retailers prohibited
- Retailer spacing
- 400 feet apart minimum
- Regulator
- ABCA
- Recreational retail
- Barred by congressional rider
Summary
A DC medical cannabis retailer cannot locate in any residential district or within 400 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school, or recreation center, and must sit at least 400 feet from another licensed retailer. Commercial recreational retail stays barred by the congressional rider.
(q)(1) A retailer or internet retailer shall not locate within any residential district or within 400 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school, or recreation center; except, that a license holder or an applicant who has applied prior to December 17, 2024, may be permitted to locate within 300 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school, or recreation center.
Full Breakdown
Under D.C. Official Code § 7–1671.06(q)(1), a retailer or internet retailer shall not locate within any residential district or within 400 feet of a preschool, primary or secondary school, or recreation center; a license holder or applicant who applied before December 17, 2024 keeps a 300-foot allowance. Subsection (q-1)(1) bars a new retailer license within 400 feet of another licensed retailer. The Alcoholic Beverage and Cannabis Administration (ABCA) licenses and enforces the program. No commercial recreational storefront exists: the congressional appropriations rider blocks DC from taxing and regulating adult-use sales, so Initiative 71 permits only home cultivation and gifting.
Violations & Penalties
Operating a cannabis retailer without an ABCA license, or siting one in a residential district or within 400 feet of a school or recreation center, exposes the business to license denial, closure, and enforcement action by ABCA.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a DC cannabis dispensary open near a school?
Are recreational cannabis stores legal in DC?
Sources
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