NY Cannabis Cultivation License Requirements Explained

What Types of Cultivation Licenses Exist in NY?

New York authorizes three cultivation categories:

• Outdoor cultivation
• Indoor cultivation
• Mixed light (greenhouse) cultivation

Each category has:

• Defined canopy size limits
• Required security standards
• Site and zoning restrictions

Your approved canopy size is part of your license. Exceeding it is a violation.

What Is Canopy?

Canopy means flowering canopy only.

It does not include:

• Vegetative areas
• Propagation space
• Drying or curing rooms
• Storage areas

Canopy limits are verified through floor plans, plant counts, and METRC tracking.

Temporary overages are still violations.

What Facility Requirements Apply?

Before approval and inspection, your site must meet OCM standards.

Core requirements include:

• A secure perimeter
• Fencing and controlled access points
• 24/7 security camera coverage, including exterior views
• Secure storage for harvested cannabis
• Environmental management plans for runoff and waste
• Visual screening if visible from public areas

Your physical site must match your approved application plans.

Unapproved changes can delay licensing or trigger enforcement.

Harvesting, Labeling, and Storage Rules

Cultivators must maintain a documented chain of custody from plant to transfer.

You must:

• Tag and scan each plant
• Record wet and dry weights
• Log destroyed material
• Store harvested cannabis in locked, secure areas
• Label batches accurately

You may not process plant material unless separately licensed as a processor.

All transfers require a compliant METRC manifest.

METRC Tracking Requirements

Every stage must be logged in METRC.

You must:

• Record plants from seed or clone through harvest
• Log batch creation and weights
• Record destruction events
• Document all transfers
• Submit required reports
• Retain records for at least five years

If it is not in METRC, it does not exist in compliance terms.

Falling behind on entries is considered noncompliance — even if your physical inventory is correct.

Common Enforcement Triggers

OCM closely monitors cultivation sites.

Frequent violations include:

• Exceeding canopy limits
• Non-functioning or missing cameras
• Missing destruction logs
• Transfers without manifests
• Inconsistent harvest weights
• Late or missing reports

Cultivation operations should be run as if inspection can occur at any time.

What Operators Usually Miss

• Canopy is enforced strictly
• METRC delays are violations on their own
• Harvest discrepancies trigger audits
• Security failures escalate quickly
• Site modifications require approval

Growing cannabis legally is documentation plus security plus limits.

When This Comes Up

• Site selection
• Facility buildout
• Security installation
• Harvest planning
• Routine reporting
• Preparing for inspection
• License renewal

What Happens If You Ignore These Rules

Noncompliance may result in:

• Fines
• Mandatory destruction of product
• Suspension
• Revocation
• Delays in renewal
• Inability to transfer inventory

Cultivation is the beginning of the supply chain. Errors here ripple forward.

Go Here Next

• License to Launch
• Processor License Overview
• Distributor License Overview
• Microbusiness License Overview
• Special Populations & Community Education

Source Material‍

• Licensing (OCM)
• Adult- Use Licensing
• Rules by License Type