Marijuana & Land Use

On June 17, 2015 the City adopted regulations pertaining to medical marijuana dispensaries and retail establishments. These regulations are generally as follows:

Such use requires a Conditional Use Permit. This is a land use application. Please see St. Helens Municipal Code Chapter 17.100 for details about Conditional Use Permits or contact the Planning Department.

Such use is possible only in the following zoning districts:

• Mixed Use—MU
• Highway Commercial—HC
• General Commercial—GC
• Riverfront District—RD
• Houlton Business District—HBD

See the Zoning Map or our Community Web GIS for the location of these zones.

• No marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary shall be permitted to locate within 1,000 feet of any public or private: child care facility; preschool; elementary school; or junior, middle, or high school that lawfully exists at the time the Conditional Use Permit application is deemed complete.
• Distance shall be measured in a straight line, without regard to intervening structures, objects or roads, from the closest point of the structure or portion of structure containing the proposed marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary, to the closest property line of the property upon which the child day care or school is located.
• No marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary shall be permitted to locate within 2,000 feet of any other marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary that lawfully exists at the time the Conditional Use Permit application is deemed complete
• Distance shall be measured in a straight line, without regard to intervening structures, objects or roads, from the closest point of the structure or portion of structure containing the proposed marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary, to the closest point of the structure or portion of structure containing the existing marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary.
• No marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary shall be allowed as a temporary use and shall be located in a permanent building.
• Any marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary shall have refuse containers or refuse collection areas that are secure from entry outside the facility.
• Any marijuana retailer and/or medical marijuana dispensary shall comply with all applicable state and local laws.

Please note that these are the Development Code regulations. For further detail please see the St. Helens Development Code (St. Helens Municipal Code Title 17) or contact the Planning Department. Other provisions, such as those pertaining to business licenses may apply as well. Business license information can be found in Chapter 5.01 of the St. Helens Municipal Code. Also see Chapter 5.06 of the St. Helens Municipal Code for marijuana activities.