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Los Angeles: Commercial Cannabis Signage
July 25, 2018

Los Angeles: Commercial Cannabis Signage Ordinance Now in Effect

With so many immediate demands that plant-touching businesses must be aware of, it can be tough to stay aware and up on the ever-shifting regulatory landscape. With that in mind, we thought you might like to know that Los Angeles’ Commercial Cannabis Signage Ordinance went into effect on July 23rd. Yes, there is now another set of checkboxes that need to be on Los Angeles cannabis businesses’ compliance audits: Signage.

Adopted by the Los Angeles City Council in early June, the intent of the rather reasonable ordinance is to limit the exposure of children and minors to advertising of cannabis and cannabis products while outdoors, where they can be easily subject to involuntary and unavoidable forms of marketing and solicitation.

All impacted Los Angeles cannabis businesses need to be aware of these changes and be sure that their signage is meeting these new requirements. (For a full summary, head to this Dept. of City Planning site).

What is Allowed:

One on-site sign per street frontage. If your location has multiple street frontages, remember that all the signs are included in the maximum sign area allowed for the property.

Allowable types of signage include:

  • Wall signs
  • Window signs
  • Awning signs
  • Projected signs
  • Signs required by a government agency and signs for security agencies whose aggregate size is limited to 30 square inches.

The allowed on-site signage is limited to displaying the following information:

  • Name of business
  • Logogram of business
  • Business’ address
  • Hours of operation
  • Contact information

What is not allowed?

  • Off-site signs (aka billboards) located within 700 feet of a sensitive locations, such as alcoholism or drug abuse recovery or treatment facilities, public libraries, public parks, schools, day care centers, and permanent supportive housing.
  • Multiple signs types, including:
  • Portable signs or sandwich signs located in the public right-of-way in front of a cannabis business.
  • Digital signs
  • Spinner signs
  • Monument signs
  • Illuminated architectural canopy signs
  • Pole signs
  • Marquee signs
  • Roof signs
  • Temporary signs
  • Moving signs and signs with moving parts
  • Supergraphic signs

Any Exceptions?

  • Signs inside the premises — unless it is a window sign, mentioned above, which is counted toward the allowable sign area.
  • Signs on commercial vehicles used exclusively for transporting or delivering cannabis.

Public service messages opposing the use of cannabis. Note: The ordinance warns operators not to try to cheat this one by making an advertisement for a cannabis company that masquerades as a PSA. They are onto these shenanigans. (§106.05.b)

Full definitions of terms can be found in Chapter 1 Article 4.4 Sec. 14.4.2 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code (Planning and Zoning), here.