Inspections & Enforcement

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.

This section covers the core compliance requirements every dispensary must follow after opening. These are the rules that keep your license active, your records accurate, and your store inspection-ready at all times.

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

New York City zoning rules determine where a cannabis dispensary can legally operate. Retail cannabis locations must comply with both NYC zoning requirements and New York State OCM distance rules before a license can be approved. A location that fails zoning, use, or distance requirements cannot receive final OCM approval, even if the application is otherwise complete.

New York cannabis operators are regulated by more than the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Every dispensary must also comply with state and city laws enforced by agencies that control zoning, construction, safety, labor, sanitation, and taxes. These requirements apply at every stage, from site selection to daily operations.

This page explains the taxes you owe, the reports you must file, and the timelines that keep a New York dispensary compliant throughout the year.