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Sahuarita holds study session on cannabis dispensary zoning; hours, lobby size, drive-throughs and delivery debated
Summary
Attorneys for the local dispensary and council held an extended study-session on potential text amendments covering hours of operation, lobby requirements, facility size, drive-throughs and delivery rules. The council gave staff direction but no formal vote; applicant indicated it will likely file a formal zoning amendment or use-permit application.
The Town of Sahuarita held a study session on proposed changes to cannabis dispensary zoning that drew an extended discussion from staff, the applicant's counsel, and council members about hours, lobby-size requirements, allowable building size, drive-throughs and delivery.
Lindsay Schubert of the law firm Gammage & Burnham, representing the local dispensary owner, reviewed the state history and requested several potential text amendments: extending operating hours (current zoning 7 a.m.–7 p.m.; request to allow up to 10 p.m.), removing or reducing a 25% gross-floor-area lobby requirement, increasing allowable facility size from 2,000 sq ft to 5,000 sq ft, permitting drive-through service, and clarifying delivery rules for adult-use sales.
"Right now, medical dispensary is permitted to deliver," Schubert said, and she described strict Arizona Department of Health Services delivery requirements: sealed bags, unmarked cars with cameras, trip logs with route-level detail and restricted facility-agent credentials.
Council members split on recommendations. Some members said extended hours, larger floor area and drive-throughs could improve access for elderly or disabled residents; one council member described seeing customers in wheelchairs at the dispensary and said a drive-through could be more accessible. Others raised public-safety and youth-access concerns: questions included whether drive-throughs would increase the risk of impaired driving and how delivery could be secured at the point of receipt.
Staff and the applicant emphasized that any change would require a formal zoning text amendment and follow the Planning & Zoning public hearing process. The applicant said it will likely file an application and work with staff on options such as conditional-use permitting or specific operational standards.
Next steps: the applicant expects to submit a formal application; staff will perform analysis and bring any proposed code changes to the Planning & Zoning Commission and later to the council for final action.
