Medical & Adult-Use Cannabis

In 2012, residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to legalize the cultivation and sale of medical marijuana by a 63.3% - 36.7% margin. The residents of Northampton voted in favor of legalization by 75%.

In 2016, residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts voted to legalize non-medical, adult-use marijuana by a margin of 53.7% - 46.3%. The residents of Northampton voted in favor of legalization by 67%.

Those interested in locating and licensing a medical or adult-use marijuana facility in the City of Northampton are encouraged to contact the Mayor's Office to schedule an introductory meeting to discuss the proposed business in advance of conducting a neighborhood outreach meeting.

Interested marijuana facility operators are also encouraged to review our zoning ordinances. Recent updates include requirements related to odor control for cultivation, processing, and manufacturing.

• Generally, cultivation, manufacturing, and processing is only allowed in the Office Industrial (OI), General Industrial (GI), and Planned Village (PV) districts.
• Sales are only allowed in the Highway Business (HB), General Business (GB), Entranceway Business (EB), and Central Business (CB) districts.

See zoning maps here for location of these districts.

If you have any questions about zoning or building regulations, please contact either the Office of Planning and Sustainability at (413) 587-1262 or the Building Department at (413) 587-1240. 

Negotiated Host Community Agreements