MRTA (Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act)

The MRTA is the New York State law that legalized and governs cannabis.

Every Office of Cannabis Management rule, license requirement, and enforcement action comes from this statute.

This page gives you:

A plain language overview of what the MRTA does
A quick map of how it is organized
A structured list of Articles and Sections so you can find the correct citation quickly

Use this page when you need to answer:
“Where, exactly, does the law say that?”

What the MRTA Does

At a high level, the MRTA:

Legalizes and regulates adult use cannabis, medical cannabis, and cannabinoid hemp
Creates the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management
Defines license types and eligibility
Sets ownership and control rules
Establishes operating standards, enforcement powers, penalties, and protections

If you hold or want a license in New York, this statute is the root source of your rights and obligations.

How the MRTA Is Organized

The MRTA is split into six Articles. Each Article governs a distinct part of New York’s cannabis system.

Each Article has its own dedicated page in the left navigation with detailed explanations.

How to Use This Section

Use this page to:

Confirm whether an activity is allowed under New York law
Find the exact statutory section to share with a landlord, vendor, staff member, or counsel
Trace an Office of Cannabis Management regulation back to its legal authority

Start with the relevant Article below, then move into the specific Article page for full detail.

Article and Section Index

Article 1 (Sections 1 - 3)

Short title, legislative intent, and core definitions used across the law.

Section 1 (Short Title)
Section 2 (Legislative Intent)
Section 3 (Definitions)

*The MRTA jumps from section 3 in Article 1 to section 7 in Article 2.

This is not an error on our page.

Article 2 (Sections 7 - 20)

Creates the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management.
Defines their powers, duties, ethics rules, and rulemaking authority.

Section 7 (Cannabis Control Board Established)
Section 8 (Office of Cannabis Management Established)
Section 9 (Executive Director)
Section 10 (Powers of the Board)
Section 11 (Powers of Executive Director)
Section 12 (Chief Equity Officer)
Section 13 (Rulemaking Authority)
Section 14 (Advisory Board)
Section 15 (Disposition of Fees)
Section 16 (Violations and Penalties)
Section 16 A (Emergency Relief)
Section 17 (Hearings)
Section 18 (Ethics and Transparency)
Section 19 (Public Health Campaign)
Section 20 (Uniform Policies)

Article 3 (Sections 30 - 45)

The medical cannabis program, including patients, caregivers, Registered Organizations, research, pricing, oversight, and legal protections.

Patient Access

Section 30 (Certification of Patients)
Section 31 (Lawful Medical Use)
Section 32 (Registry Identification Cards)
Section 41 (Home Cultivation)
Section 42 (Protections for Medical Use)

Caregivers & Practitioners

Section 33 (Designated Caregiver Facilities)
Section 34 (Registered Organizations)
Section 35 (Registration of ROs)
Section 36 (Reports of ROs)

Medical Operations & Oversight

Section 37 (Evaluation; Research Programs)
Section 38 (Cannabis Research License)
Section 39 (ROs and Adult-Use Cannabis)
Section 43 (Regulations)
Section 44 (Suspension; Termination)
Section 45 (Pricing)

Legal Framework (Article 40)

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Article 4 (Sections 61 - 89)

The adult use cannabis framework, including licensing, license types, social and economic equity, operations, and compliance.

Adult- Use Licensing Framework

Section 61 (License Application)
Section 62 (Information Requested in Applications)
Section 63 (Fees)
Section 64 (Selection Criteria)
Section 65 (Limitations of Licensure; Duration)
Section 66 (License Renewal)
Section 67 (Amendments; Ownership & Structure Changes)

‍Adult- Use License Types (Sections 68 - 75, 77)

Section 68 (Adult-Use Cultivator License)
Section 68-A (RO Adult-Use Cultivator/Processor/Distributor/Retail License)
Section 68-B (RO Adult-Use Cultivator/Processor/Distributor License)
Section 69 (Adult-Use Processor License)
Section 70 (Adult-Use Cooperative License)
Section 71 (Adult-Use Distributor License)
Section 72 (Adult-Use Retail Dispensary License)
Section 73 (Microbusiness License)
Section 74 (Delivery License)
Section 75 (Nursery License)

Municipal Notification Requirements (Section 76)

SOPs and Operations (Sections 78–86)

Section 78 (Record Keeping & Tracking)
Section 79 (Inspections & Ongoing Requirements)
Section 80 (Ownership Restrictions / No Cross-Tiering)
Section 81 (Packaging, Labeling, and Administration)
Section 82 (Laboratory Testing)
Section 83 (Cultivation & Processing Rules)
Section 84 (Distribution Operations)
Section 85 (Retail Dispensary Operations)
Section 86 (Advertising & Marketing

Equity and Reporting (Sections 87–89)

Section 87 (Social & Economic Equity; MWBE; Incubators)
Section 88 (Data Collection & Reporting)
Section 89 (Regulations)

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Article 5 (Sections 90 - 111)

Cannabinoid hemp regulation, including licensing, manufacturing, testing, labeling, retail sales, and enforcement.

License & Eligibility

Section 90 (Definitions)
Section 91 (Rulemaking Authority)
Section 92 (Cannabinoid Hemp Processor License)
Section 93 (Cannabinoid Hemp Retailer License)
Section 94 (Cannabinoid License Applications)
Section 95 (Information to Be Requested in Applications)
Section 96 (Fees)
Section 97 (Selection Criteria)
Section 98 (License Renewal)
Section 99 (Form of License)

Compliance and Operations (Hemp)

Section 100 (Transferability; Amendments; Ownership or Control Changes)
Section 101 (Granting, Suspending, or Revoking Licenses)
Section 102 (Record Keeping and Tracking)
Section 103 (Packaging & Labeling)
Section 104 (Processing Standards)
Section 105 (Laboratory Testing)

Oversight & Enforcement

Section 106 (New York Hemp Product)
Section 107 (Penalties)
Section 108 (Hemp Workgroup)
Section 109 (Prohibitions)
Section 110 (Special Use Permits)
Section 111 (Severability)

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Article 6 (Sections 125 - 139)

General provisions that apply across the system, including prohibitions, premises rules, permits, penalties, municipal control, court review, and record sealing.

Enforcement & Penalties

Section 125 (General Prohibitions)
Section 132 (Penalties)
Section 133 (Revocation)
Section 136 (Illicit Cannabis)
Section 138 A (Unlawful Business Practices)

Consumer Rights & Protections‍

Section 127 (Protections for Lawful Use)
Section 134 (Lawful Actions)
Section 138 B (Orders to Seal)

Licensing & Permits

Section 126 (Premises and Transport)
Section 128 (Licenses and Permits)
Section 129 (Laboratory Testing Permits)
Section 130 (Special Use Permits)
Section 130 A (Cannabis Showcase Events)
Section 138 (Access to Criminal History)

Government and Legal Process

Section 131 (Local Opt Out)
Section 131 A (Office as Necessary Party)
Section 135 (Judicial Review)
Section 137 (Prohibited Individuals)
Section 139 (Severability)

Source Material

Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA)