Getting started

This page answers: "What do I need to finish before I can open my dispensary?"

Explains what happens after proximity protection, why you still cannot open, what a provisional license allows, and the steps you must complete before OCM issues a final license.

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.

Cannabis is legal in New York, but it remains illegal under federal law. Because of that, New York cannabis operators are still subject to a wide range of federal rules enforced by agencies outside the cannabis program. These requirements affect banking, taxes, accessibility, marketing, payments, employment, safety, and risk exposure.