General operating requirements.
Riverside Municipal Code § 5.77.370
in effect5.77.370 - General operating requirements.
A. Cannabis businesses shall operate in compliance with Division 10 of the Business and Professions Code, as may be amended under state law.
B. Cannabis businesses may operate only during the hours specified in the cannabis business permit issued by the City.
C. Restriction on sales and consumption. Cannabis shall not be consumed by any person on the premises of any cannabis business. No person shall cause or permit the sale, dispensing, or consumption of alcoholic beverages or tobacco on or about the premises of the cannabis business.
D. No cannabis or cannabis products or graphics depicting cannabis or cannabis products shall be visible from the exterior of any property issued a cannabis business permit, or on any of the vehicles owned or used as part of the cannabis business. No outdoor storage of cannabis or cannabis products is permitted at any time.
E. Reporting and tracking of product and of gross sales. Each cannabis business shall have in place a point-of-sale or management inventory tracking system to track and report on all aspects of the cannabis business including, but not limited to, such matters as cannabis tracking, inventory data, gross sales (by weight and by sale) and other information which may be deemed necessary by the City. The cannabis business shall provide this information to the City upon request, in the format defined by the City. In addition, the system must have the capability to produce historical transactional data for review.
F. All cannabis and cannabis products sold, distributed, or held shall be cultivated, manufactured, and transported by state licensed facilities that maintain operations in full conformance with the state and local regulations.
G. Emergency contact. Each cannabis business shall provide the City Manager with the name, telephone number (both land line and mobile, if available) of an on-site employee or owner to whom emergency notice can be provided at any hour of the day.
H. Signage and notices.
1. In addition to the requirements otherwise set forth in this section, business identification signage for a cannabis business shall conform to the requirements of Chapter 19.620 General Sign Provisions and are required to obtain all sign permits as required.
2. Each entrance to a cannabis business shall be visibly posted with a clear and legible notice indicating that smoking, ingesting, or otherwise consuming cannabis on the premises or in the areas adjacent to the cannabis business is prohibited.
I. Minors.
1. Persons under the age of 21 years shall not be allowed on the premises of a cannabis business and shall not be allowed to serve as a driver for a mobile delivery service. It shall be unlawful and a violation of this chapter for any person to employ any person at a cannabis business who is not at least 21 years of age.
2. The entrance to the cannabis business shall be clearly and legibly posted with a notice that no person under the age of 21 years of age is permitted to enter upon the premises of the cannabis business.
3. Notwithstanding Section 5.77.370(h)(1), persons aged 18 to 20 years shall be allowed on the premises of a cannabis business if they can produce a physician's recommendation. In that event, such persons can lawfully purchase cannabis for the sole purpose of addressing the medical need that is the subject of the physician's recommendation.
J. Odor control.
1. Odor control devices and techniques shall be incorporated in all cannabis businesses to ensure that odors from cannabis are not detectable off-site.
a. Cannabis businesses shall provide a sufficient odor absorbing ventilation and exhaust system so that odor generated inside the cannabis business that is distinctive to its operation is not detected outside of the facility, anywhere on adjacent property or public rights-of-way, on or about the exterior or interior common area walkways, hallways, breezeways, foyers, lobby areas, or any other areas available for use by common tenants or the visiting public, or within any other unit located inside the same building as the cannabis business.
b. Cannabis businesses must install and maintain the following equipment, or any other equipment which the Community & Economic Development Director or his/her designee(s) determine is a more effective method or technology:
i. An exhaust air filtration system with odor control that prevents internal odors from being emitted externally;
ii. An air system that creates negative air pressure between the cannabis business's interior and exterior, so that the odors generated inside the cannabis business are not detectable on the outside of the cannabis business.
K. Display of permit and city business tax certificate. The original copy of the cannabis business permit issued by the City pursuant to this chapter and the City issued business tax certificate shall be posted inside the cannabis business in a location readily visible to the public.
L. Background check.
1. Pursuant to California Penal Code Sections 11105(b)(11) and 13300(b)(11), which authorizes City authorities to access state and local summary criminal history information for cannabis employment, licensing, or certification purposes and authorizes access to federal level criminal history information by transmitting fingerprint images and related information to the Department of Justice to be transmitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, every person listed as an owner or employee must submit fingerprints and other information deemed necessary by the Chief of Police or his/her designee(s) for a background check by the City of Riverside Police Department.
2. Pursuant to California Penal Sections 11105(b)(11) and 13300(b)(11), which requires that there be a requirement or exclusion from cannabis employment, licensing or certification based on specific criminal conduct on the part of the subject of the record, no person shall be issued a permit to operate a cannabis business or be allowed to work in a cannabis business unless they have first cleared the background check, as determined by the Chief of Police or his/her designee(s), as required by this section.
3. A fee for the cost of the background investigation, which shall be the actual cost to the City of Riverside to conduct the background investigation as it deems necessary and appropriate, shall be paid at the time the application for a cannabis business permit is submitted.
4. Evidence of a conviction of any of the offenses enumerated in Business and Professions Code Section 26057(b)(4), absent a certificate of rehabilitation, shall be grounds for immediate disqualification of the applicant.
M. Loitering.
1. The owner and/or operator of a cannabis business shall prohibit loitering by persons outside the facility both on the premises and within 50 feet of the premises.
2. The cannabis business shall notify the Police Department if anyone continues to loiter around the building or premises after all reasonable action has been taken to remove the individual(s) and the action has failed to do so in a timely manner.
N. Permits and other approvals. Prior to the establishment of any cannabis business or the operation of any such business, the person intending to establish a cannabis business must first obtain all applicable planning entitlements, building permits, and other applicable permits from the relevant governmental agency which may be applicable to the zoning district in which such cannabis business intends to establish and to operate pursuant to Section 5.77.320 and all applicable requirements in this chapter.
O. Each cannabis operator shall establish minimum training standards for all employees. The City Manager shall have the discretion to require other training for the business operations should the City identify deficiencies or non-compliance issues with City or state requirements.
(Ord. 7628 § 1(Exh. A), 2023)
Source: City of Riverside, California, Municipal Code and City Charter (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/ca/riverside/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=PTIICOOR_TIT5BU_CH5.77CABUAC_5.77.370GEOPREFetched: 11/1/2026