Inspections & Enforcement

What zoning, distance, and municipal notice rules apply to cannabis businesses in New York, and how choosing the wrong location can delay or stop your license.

Federal workplace safety laws apply to every dispensary, regardless of size or license status. Cannabis businesses must comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards even though cannabis remains federally illegal. Safety violations can result in inspections, citations, fines, or corrective orders.

The New York Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has the authority to suspend, fine, condition, or revoke a dispensary license for violations of the Cannabis Law or OCM regulations. This is not automatic. But it is real. This page explains: Legal grounds for suspension or revocation, what triggers investigations, what due process you are entitled to, and what happens during enforcement.

MRTA Article 2; Sections 7–20 explain who governs cannabis in New York and how regulatory power is structured. It defines which bodies set policy, write rules, issue licenses, enforce compliance, and oversee equity.

MRTA Article 4, Section 76 establishes the mandatory municipal notification requirements for adult-use retail dispensary and on-site consumption license applicants. This notice must be completed correctly and within the required time window before submitting a license application. Failure to comply makes the application incomplete and prevents it from moving forward.

MRTA Article 5, Sections 106–111 regulates cannabinoid hemp separately from adult-use cannabis, but hemp operators are still subject to inspections, enforcement actions, penalties, and license consequences. Compliance under Article 5 is mandatory and actively enforced.

MRTA Article 6, Sections 125, 132, 133, 136, 137, 138-A. These sections govern civil penalties, license suspension and revocation, prohibited ownership, and the definition of illicit cannabis. Operators encounter these rules any time compliance breaks down, ownership is questioned, or products fall outside the regulated system.

MRTA Article 6; Sections 126, 128, 129, 130, 130-A, & 138 define where a cannabis license legally applies, how permits and registrations work, who is authorized to test cannabis, how temporary events are regulated, and how criminal-history reviews are conducted.

Part 125 covers safety, sanitation, security, inventory tracking, transport, waste, inspections, and recordkeeping. These are not optional guidelines. They are enforceable requirements.