What to Know / FAQ

You may only sell cannabis or engage in any other form of Commercial Cannabis Activity if you obtain a permit from the state and from the city.

Persons engaged in unlicensed commercial cannabis activity may be subject to civil and criminal enforcement actions.

“Commercial Cannabis Activity” includes the cultivation, possession, manufacture, distribution, processing, storing, laboratory testing, packaging, labeling, transportation, delivery or sale of cannabis and cannabis products.

Yes. The California Department of Public Health has established and launched “Let’s Talk Cannabis” a public information campaign to increase awareness about cannabis and its impacts on health.

You can submit code violations and concerns about a cannabis business to the City’s Code Enforcement Department. Report a Code Violation.

CBD oil derived from cannabis, as defined in California Business and Professional Code Sec 26001, may only be manufactured, distributed or sold by a person with a permit from the State and from the City.

The City does not regulate the sale of CBD oil derived from industrial hemp, as defined in Section 11018.5 of the California Health and Safety Code, and no cannabis-specific City permit is required to sell it. Federal and state law may prohibit the sale of some or all forms of CBD oil derived from industrial hemp, but the City cannot advise businesses on whether they are in compliance with those laws.

Please refer to the CDPH for more information about CBD oil from industrial hemp.

Those seeking public records may submit a request to the City Clerk. Please try to identify the records you seek with as much specificity as possible.

You may also be able to find certain public records and licensee information on the Bureau of Cannabis Control’s website, the Department of Food & Agriculture’s website, and the Department of Public Health’s website.

Please keep in mind that some records are exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act.

The Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) is responsible for licensing retailers, distributors, testing labs and microbusinesses.

The Manufactured Cannabis Safety Branch, a division of the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), is responsible for licensing the manufacturers of manufactured cannabis products.

CalCannabis Cultivation Licensing, a division of the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA), is responsible for licensing cultivators of cannabis.

No. A person must obtain a license/permit from the both the state and the City before operating a cannabis business.

Applications for cannabis-related businesses can be found here.

On December 6, 2022, the Moreno Valley City Council approved Resolution No. 2022-74 establishing the maximum number of commercial cannabis regulatory permits allowed.

CCRP Type	# of permits
Cannabis Dispensaries (Retail/Store Fronts)	25
Cannabis Testing	0
Cannabis Cultivation	4
Cannabis Manufacturing	1
Cannabis Distribution Centers	2
Cannabis Microbusinesses	7
Total	39

The City is offering permits for both adult recreational use and commercial medical for retail, testing, cultivation, microbusiness, distribution, and manufacturing.

No.

Yes. You can review the permitted uses for the city’s zones in the on-line zoning code

You can also use the interactive zone map or see the development standards for cannabis related businesses in the online zoning code section 9.09.290. The zoning code includes distance to other cannabis-related sensitive uses.

The City’s Zoning Code specifies the zoning restrictions for each type of Commercial Cannabis Activity as well as the sensitive use and location restrictions that apply to each type of Commercial Cannabis Activity.

Currently, the City does not provide location compliance verification for potential business locations before the submission of an application.

Please refer to the City’s Zoning Code for the zoning restrictions for each type of Commercial Cannabis Activity as well as the sensitive use and location restrictions that may also apply.

The State of California imposes an excise tax on the purchase of medical and “Adult-Use” cannabis. Cultivators will also have to pay a tax on dry flowers and dry leaves.

The City currently imposes the following cannabis activity tax (Measure M) on permitted cannabis businesses:

• Up to 8% gross receipts from Adult-Use Sales and Medical Sales and 1% gross receipts for testing facilities
• Up to $15 per square foot of cultivation area

Applications are filed at City Hall at the Cashiers desk on the first floor.

The Financial Management & Services department will notify you by email, mail or other means when it has an update regarding your application.

All applicants are required to submit a deposit of $89,463, which may be held on deposit for up to one year.

Deposit account will be charged for City fees, staff time and the Consultant’s time for reviewing applications and administrating the application process as shown in the table below. Applicants are advised that they may be required to pay additional amounts as required for the City’s completion of the application review process. Additional details can be found in the fee section of the Application Procedures.

Deposit of the $89,463 must be made by a certified check, cashier’s check or money order made payable to the City of Moreno Valley. Please note, the City will not accept cash or credit cards and application fees are non-refundable however, any remaining balance not used from the deposit resulting in the Applicant not participating in any phase of the process will be returned to the Applicant as defined in the Application Procedures.

Application Fee	$    9,551
Interview Fee	$    1,556
Annual Permit Fee	$  58,356
Annual Community Benefit Fee	$  20,000

Please note that Conditional Use Permit, plan check, inspection fees and other departmental fees are not included in this amount. A complete list of fees related to cannabis related business and activities can be found in the City’s Comprehensive Fees Schedule.

No.

Send an email to cannabispermit@moval.org directing the City to withdrawal your application.

To demonstrate compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), refer to one of the following:

• DCC Regulation Section 5010
• CDFA Regulation Section 8102
• CDPH Regulation Section 40128

These resources provide direction on the CEQA requirements for each type of Commercial Cannabis Activity.