Municipality is often the underwriting unit.

Albany

New York — An Albany cannabis dispensary is licensed by the state, not the city.

Albuquerque

New Mexico — Albuquerque is New Mexico's largest cannabis retail market, and the state licenses its businesses.

Anchorage

Alaska — A marijuana business in Anchorage needs both a state licence and a municipal licence under Anchorage Municipal Code chapter 10.80.

Ann Arbor

Michigan — Ann Arbor regulates cannabis businesses under Chapter 96 of its city code.

Baltimore

Maryland — Baltimore City licenses no cannabis businesses of its own.

Billings

Montana — Billings city voters permanently prohibited adult-use dispensaries on 2 November 2021, so every adult-use store serving the state's largest city sits outside the city limits.

Boston

Massachusetts — Selling a cannabis business in Boston needs two approvals: the state Cannabis Control Commission and the Boston Cannabis Board.

Buffalo

New York — Buffalo cannabis businesses are licensed by New York State, but the city adds its own layer: City Code Chapter 130, adopted 2 May 2023, and a Green Code zoning check that allows dispensaries in some zones by permit, in others only with a Common Council special use permit, and elsewhere not at all.

Burlington

Vermont — Burlington requires a local cannabis licence from its Local Cannabis Control Commission, made up of all 12 city councillors, in addition to a Vermont Cannabis Control Board licence.

Chicago

Illinois — A Chicago cannabis business needs a state licence and a City of Chicago special use approval from the Zoning Board of Appeals.

Cleveland

Ohio — Cleveland regulates cannabis siting through its zoning code, with section 347.191 covering state-licensed adult-use cultivators, processors, dispensaries, and testing labs and a 500-foot separation from schools, churches, public libraries, playgrounds, and parks.

Columbus

Ohio — Columbus allows a state-licensed dispensary by right, with no special permit, in the C-4 commercial district and the UGN-1, UCT, UCR, CAC and RAC mixed-use districts.

Denver

Colorado — Denver licenses marijuana businesses through its Department of Licensing and Consumer Protection under Chapter 6, Article V of the city code.

Detroit

Michigan — Detroit caps adult-use cannabis licences and awards them in scored rounds, with half reserved for equity applicants.

Grand Rapids

Michigan — A Grand Rapids dispensary needs Special Land Use approval under zoning section 5.9.19, a City Clerk licence under Chapter 105, and a state CRA licence.

Hartford

Connecticut — A Hartford cannabis retailer needs a special permit from the Planning and Zoning Commission under section 3.3.10 of the city's zoning regulations, as well as a state licence.

Honolulu

Hawaii — Honolulu has three of Hawaii's eight medical cannabis dispensary licences, held by Aloha Green Apothecary, Cure Oahu and Noa Botanicals.

Jersey City

New Jersey — A Jersey City cannabis business needs local approval from the city's Cannabis Control Board as well as a state licence.

Kansas City

Missouri — Kansas City, Missouri taxes adult-use cannabis at 3% under Code section 68-451, approved by 73% of voters in April 2023 and collected since 1 October 2023.

Las Vegas

Nevada — A Las Vegas cannabis business needs a Cannabis Compliance Board licence plus a local business licence and special use permit.

Los Angeles

California — Los Angeles licenses cannabis businesses through its Department of Cannabis Regulation under Article 4, Chapter X of the Municipal Code, on top of a state licence.

Miami

Florida — No cannabis business in Miami can be bought on its own.

Minneapolis

Minnesota — Minneapolis regulates cannabis through zoning and a city registration, not through a licence.

Missoula

Montana — Missoula has roughly 50 dispensaries, down from a peak near 60, and in January 2026 the city council raised the required separation from other dispensaries and sensitive uses from 500 feet to 1,000 feet.

New York City

New York — New York City issues no cannabis license of its own.

Newark

New Jersey — A Newark cannabis business needs a city authorization and a special use permit under Title 14 of the Newark code, on top of its state licence.

Oakland

California — Oakland permits cannabis businesses through the City Administrator's cannabis permit office under Municipal Code Chapters 5.80 and 5.81, with at least half of permits reserved for equity applicants.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma — Oklahoma City requires every medical marijuana business to hold a city Medical Marijuana Certificate of Compliance, one for each licence type, before OMMA will issue or renew the state licence.

Orlando

Florida — Orlando has no local cannabis licence, and tourists cannot buy, because Florida's registry is limited to residents and seasonal residents.

Philadelphia

Pennsylvania — Philadelphia has medical marijuana dispensaries only, because Pennsylvania has not legalised adult use.

Phoenix

Arizona — Phoenix does not license cannabis businesses; the Arizona Department of Health Services does.

Pittsburgh

Pennsylvania — Pittsburgh has medical marijuana dispensaries only, because Pennsylvania has not legalised adult use.

Portland

Oregon — Portland requires its own marijuana regulatory licence under City Code Chapter 14B.130 in addition to an OLCC licence.

Portland

Maine — Portland, Maine is one of the most crowded cannabis retail markets in the state.

Providence

Rhode Island — Providence allows retail cannabis in C-2 and C-3 commercial districts by special use permit under a zoning ordinance the City Council passed in September 2024, with a 500-foot school buffer and notice to neighbours within 200 feet.

Reno

Nevada — Reno sits in Washoe County, where state law caps adult-use retail licences at 20.

Richmond

Virginia — Richmond sits in Virginia's Health Service Area IV, where a single pharmaceutical processor permit covers the Richmond and Petersburg region.

Sacramento

California — Sacramento caps storefront cannabis dispensary permits at 40 under City Code section 5.150.350, and since 2020 all remaining storefront permits have been reserved for participants in the CORE equity programme through a competitive request for qualifications.

San Diego

California — San Diego permits cannabis businesses through Development Services conditional use permits, capped at four outlets per council district and 36 citywide, plus 40 production facilities.

San Francisco

California — San Francisco permits cannabis businesses through its Office of Cannabis under Police Code Article 16, with land-use approval from SF Planning.

Seattle

Washington — Seattle does not license cannabis businesses.

Springfield

Massachusetts — Springfield allows no more than 15 adult-use marijuana retailers and requires every marijuana establishment to hold a Tier 3 special permit granted by the City Council.

St. Louis

Missouri — The City of St. Louis regulates dispensaries under zoning Chapter 26.70: permitted by right in the G through L districts, conditional in the F neighbourhood commercial district, and barred from residential districts, with no required distance from schools, churches or other dispensaries.

Tampa

Florida — Tampa has no local cannabis licence to buy.

Tucson

Arizona — Tucson licenses no cannabis businesses — Arizona's health department does — but since December 2022 a marijuana dispensary in Tucson needs a Mayor and Council special exception, which also applies to relocations and certain expansions.

Tulsa

Oklahoma — Tulsa requires every medical marijuana business to get its OMMA Certificate of Compliance signed at the City of Tulsa Permit Center, which checks building permits, certificate of occupancy and spacing compliance before signing.

Virginia Beach

Virginia — Virginia Beach sits in Health Service Area V, where one operator holds the region's only pharmaceutical processor permit.

Washington

District of Columbia — Washington, D.C. licenses medical cannabis only.

Worcester

Massachusetts — Worcester limits marijuana retailers to 15, a number set at 20% of its 74 off-premises alcohol licenses, and the city says it is not accepting new retail applications.