Licensing & Ownership

This page explains what a retail license allows, where you can operate, the operational standards you must follow, and the compliance obligations that apply once you open.

Delivery licensees are not retailers, processors, or distributors. Instead, they are treated as a regulated extension of the retail operation.

This license is designed for lean, single-site operators who want full control of their supply chain without scaling into multi-location or multi-tier operations. It allows small operators to cultivate, process, distribute, and retail cannabis, but only their own products and only within strict limits.

Article 4; Sections 87–89 explain how New York sets equity priorities, tracks market data, and gives regulators authority to write and enforce adult-use cannabis rules. These sections shape who gets licensing priority, how outcomes are measured, and how regulations are created.

This page explains cultivation license types, facility standards, harvest and storage rules, and METRC obligations that apply to licensed cultivators.

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.

A distributor license allows you to purchase, store, and transport cannabis products between licensed operators. Distributors do not manufacture products or sell to consumers. Instead, they function as the compliance checkpoint between processors and retailers.

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.

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.