Code Change Summary: New code section identifies specific building types where cannabis extraction is prohibited.

SME commentary: In the 2026 NEC^®, new Section 512.6 establishes where cannabis extraction is prohibited, providing clear enforcement and design guidance for installations related to cannabis plant oil processing. This new section aligns NEC^® requirements with the life safety provisions of NFPA 1, Fire Code, Section 38.6.1.1.3, which restricts such operations from being conducted in certain occupancy types due to the increased risk of fire and explosion from flammable solvents commonly used in extraction processes.

New NEC^® Section 512.6 prohibits cannabis extraction from occurring in “any building containing assembly, educational, day care, health care, ambulatory health care, residential board and care, residential, or detention and correction facilities”. Extraction operations that often involve volatile materials such as butane, propane, or ethanol must be performed only in facilities where the associated risks can be properly mitigated, and not in occupancies such as Group A (assembly), Group E (educational, and day care), Group R (residential), Group I (hospitals, correction facilities), and the like.

The intent of this section is to prevent introducing these hazardous operations into spaces where large numbers of people, vulnerable occupants, or confined individuals could be exposed to the resulting hazards.

Prior to the 2026 NEC^®, the National Electrical Code did not contain explicit prohibitions identifying where cannabis oil extraction could not occur. This created ambiguity for Authorities Having Jurisdiction (AHJs) when evaluating facility permit applications and for designers trying to determine code-compliant locations for extraction systems. Many jurisdictions relied solely on NFPA 1 or other local fire code adoptions to govern the placement of cannabis processing operations. By adding Section 512.6 directly to the NEC^®, electrical professionals are now given consistent direction within the code they most frequently reference, promoting uniform enforcement across all jurisdictions adopting the NEC^®.

Extraction systems inherently introduce electrical hazards due to their use of heating elements, pumps, and control equipment in potentially flammable atmospheres. When these systems are installed within facilities such as hospitals, schools, or multifamily housing, the risk to occupants increases significantly. By prohibiting cannabis extraction within these building types, the NEC^® ensures that only appropriate industrial or commercial occupancies, those that can be properly classified and equipped with required hazardous (classified) location electrical systems, are used for extraction operations.

This addition complements the broader structure of Article 512, Cannabis Oil Equipment and Systems, which was first introduced in the 2023 NEC^® to address the growing cannabis processing industry. The new Section 512.6 reinforces the intent of the article by clearly identifying environments where such systems present an unacceptable risk, thereby improving clarity, safety, and alignment with fire protection standards recognized throughout the industry.

Below is a preview of the NEC^®. See the actual NEC^® text at NFPA.ORG for the complete code section. Once there, click on their link to free access to the 2026 NEC^® edition of NFPA 70.

2023 Code Language:

This code section did not exist.

2026 Code Language:

 N 512.6 Prohibited Locations. Cannabis extraction shall not be located in any building containing assembly, educational, day care, health care, ambulatory health care, residential board and care, residential, or detention and correction facilities.