Perris planning commission backs ban on freeway‑oriented cannabis advertising within city limits

The Perris Planning Commission recommended that the City Council adopt a zoning code text amendment to prohibit cannabis advertising on off‑site freeway billboards and freeway‑oriented off‑site signs located within 660 feet of any freeway right‑of‑way inside the city.

Staff background: City staff reported a review of billboards adjacent to Interstate‑215 showing 29 advertising structures along the corridor, 18 of which are inside city limits. Staff identified four Perris billboards and four county‑jurisdiction billboards displaying cannabis advertising during a recent survey (advertisers and content can change frequently). The proposed zoning amendment would add language to Chapter 19.75 of the Perris Municipal Code to bar cannabis advertising on off‑site, freeway‑oriented signs located within the 660‑foot buffer from the freeway edge.

Why the change: Staff said the change would align Perris with several Inland Empire jurisdictions that have either prohibited cannabis billboard advertising or applied buffer limits near sensitive uses or transportation corridors. The amendment is framed as a land‑use/signage restriction and would not change rules that apply to on‑site signage at a legally permitted cannabis business; those uses remain regulated separately under state law and local permitting.

Outcome: The planning commission voted 4‑0 to recommend Resolution 25‑13 and Zoning Code Text Amendment 25‑000003 to the City Council. Commissioners noted interest in stricter limits for other sign types and suggested that the council could consider additional prohibitions tied to youth‑oriented sensitive receptors through separate action if it wishes to expand restrictions beyond the freeway‑oriented signs addressed in this ordinance.

What next: The commission’s recommendation will be transmitted to the City Council for final consideration.