Getting started

MRTA Article 6, Sections 126, 128, 129, 130, 130-A, and 138 govern licensed premises limits, transport rules, license issuance and amendment authority, laboratory testing permits, special use and showcase event authorizations, and OCM’s authority to conduct criminal-history background reviews. These provisions define where a license is valid, when approval is required for changes, and how testing and event activity must be authorized before cannabis may be handled or sold.

Federal law continues to regulate critical aspects of cannabis business operations, even in states where cannabis is legal. This section explains how Schedule I status, IRS tax rules (280E), federal banking compliance, ADA accessibility requirements, FTC advertising standards, OSHA workplace rules, payment processing restrictions, and other federal frameworks affect New York cannabis operators on a daily basis.

MRTA Article 2, Sections 7–20 establish the governance structure of New York cannabis regulation. It defines the authority of the Cannabis Control Board (CCB), the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), rulemaking procedures, licensing and enforcement powers, emergency suspension authority, equity oversight roles, ethics requirements, and due process protections for licensees.