MyCity
About Cannabis NYC
The NYC Department of Small Business Services (SBS) launched Cannabis NYC to make our city the global leader for cannabis industry excellence in education and equity across business, science, and culture, and is reaching this goal by actively creating an interagency hub of free resources and services for all New Yorkers interested in the cannabis industry.
Through strategic outreach, public engagement, business services, and advocacy efforts, Cannabis NYC will support the creation of good jobs, successful small businesses, and sustainable economic opportunity to address historic harms of cannabis prohibition.
To stay connected, call our hotline at 888-SBS-4NYC (888-727-4692) and sign up for email updates.
Learn more about this developing industry
New York State Cannabis Regulations
The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) legalizes cannabis for adults 21 years of age or older. This law sets out a framework that will protect public health and safety, while promoting social equity and economic development. The New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will license cultivators, processors, distributors, and dispensaries to grow and sell cannabis in New York.
To stay up to date on New York State rules and regulations, visit cannabis.ny.gov.
Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Licenses
The Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) License is the first retail dispensary license to be distributed for legal adult-use cannabis sales in New York State and will be awarded to businesses owned by justice-involved New Yorkers and close family members, setting a foundation for an equitable industry.
New York State Cannabis Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How do I get a license to distribute, cultivate, sell, or process cannabis?
The NYS Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) is charged with issuing licenses for businesses to participate in New York’s adult-use, medical, and cannabinoid hemp industries. OCM is developing regulations on how a person or business can apply for and receive a license. Please see OCM’s website for updates and sign up for updates from SBS about the latest information impacting New York City.
Is cannabis safe to use?
It is now legal for adults 21 and older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis for personal use in New York. Adults may smoke or vape cannabis wherever smoking tobacco is allowed under the smoke-free air laws, with a few exceptions.
Medical cannabis has been legally available to New Yorkers through the State’s medical marijuana program since 2014.
For more information, visit the NYC Department of Health and Mental Hygiene
Is cannabis use legal for New Yorkers younger than 21?
It is still against the law for people younger than 21 years old to possess, sell, or use any amount of cannabis. Also, no one may legally possess more than three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis, sell any amount without a license, or drive while under the influence or impaired by cannabis.
Under federal law, cannabis possession and use in all forms remains illegal. For more information on the federal law, visit the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) website on cannabis and cannabis-derived products.