Marijuana dispensaries can’t advertise cannabis products on storefront signs in Manteca but smoke and vape shops, apparently for now, can.

Manteca Council Member Regina Lackey raised the issue during last week’s council meeting.

The council, after Lackey made the request, gave their consensus for staff to explore whether the current sign ordinance needs to be updated.

Manteca in its guidelines has prohibited cannabis dispensaries from advertising their products per se on store signs, window signs or others connected with their businesses.

They went a step farther requiring those awarded one of three permits to sell cannabis products not to have names that reference marijuana or may be misleading or appeal of children such as “Cookies“ in Modesto.

The city, when Manteca’s first licensed dispensary “Off the Charts” opened last month on West Yosemite Avene with a green cross as part of the store’s sign, within days ordered it removed as well as two A-frame signs that also had the green cross in them that were placed along the curb.

The green cross — similar in design to the American Red Cross logo — has long been associated with medical marijuana dispensaries.

There are smoke shops in Manteca that advertise cannabis products in window signage.

San Joaquin County is currently taking steps to address smoke shops that advertise cannabis based products to window signs as has the cities of Stockton and Lodi.

Lackey, in making her request to the council in agreeing staff should pursue it, did not specifically  ask how the sign ordinance would be enforced if it were to be changed to also ban cannabis advertising at smoke shops and other places carrying cannabis based products such as oils.

Manteca basically enforces property upkeep ordinances such as sign regulations or placement of fences on a complaint driven basis.

As such, someone would need to make a complaint about a sign before city laws are enforced as opposed to city employees noting an infraction and enforcing it.

Given the enforcement against the two A-frame signs involved at Off the Charts along Yosemite led to their removal and not being replaced with ones without a green cross, it opens issues not involving cannabis advertising,

The last time Manteca had a citizen-based committee looking over the sign ordinance that was amended to include “human signs” — people on customers or carrying billboards — they spent 13 months debating changes.

It was stretched out that long primarily due to the contentious issue of “A” frame signs blocking drivers’ vision at driveways, being chained to city trees, partially, blocking sidewalks, being placed on city right-of-way, and even in front of other businesses.

That said, there may be no issue with the city not enforcing its sign ordinance unless it receives a citizen complaint.

But to put smoke shops and cannabis dispensaries on the same footing, the staff may have to do so.

That’s because the council made it clear as a policy decision that no one that receives a cannabis dispensary permit could use words, symbols and such involved with marijuana in any advertising when connected with their physical  location where it was in the store sign, window displays, or signs away from the building.

There are no similar restrictions for specific businesses in the city’s sign ordinance.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com