Council narrows local cannabis distance rules to state-mandated 500-foot limit from schools

The West Warwick Town Council on Sept. 2 amended a first-reading ordinance that would set local distance restrictions on cannabis retail establishments, removing the mayority of proposed local buffers and retaining only the state-mandated 500-foot limitation from educational institutions.

Councilor Al, who presented the ordinance, said much of the original draft reflected a compilation of distance rules other communities had considered when the state’s cannabis law was adopted in 2023. He told the council that the only mandatory restriction is the 500-foot rule from educational institutions; the rest of the distance ideas were “a checklist” for council consideration. He said the draft had been reviewed by legal counsel and the Cannabis Control Commission’s regulations were now available, making it timely to decide the town’s approach.

After discussion about whether day-care centers are included in the state definition of “educational institution,” councilors moved to amend the ordinance by deleting all the proposed distance items except the 500-foot requirement tied to what state law defines as an educational institution. The motion to amend was seconded and the council approved the amendment and advanced the ordinance as amended.

Why it matters: The council’s amendment narrows local controls to match the state floor for distance from schools, which councilors said preserves the town’s compliance with state statute while avoiding overly restrictive local buffers that could prevent any retail locations from being sited in town. Councilors noted the Cannabis Control Commission will award a limited number of retail licenses within each state zone and that some license categories are reserved for social equity applicants.

What’s next: Planning and zoning staff will process the amended ordinance and the item will return for continued readings as required by town procedures. If and when an applicant files with the Cannabis Control Commission, state rules require municipalities to conduct a zoning review within a statutory timeframe, the presenter said.

Ending: Councilors emphasized they do not have authority to expand statutory limits and that the town must follow the state’s definition of educational institution when applying the 500-foot restriction.