Why Cannabis Businesses Struggle With Banking and Payments

Licensed hemp businesses in New York are subject to detailed day-to-day operational requirements. While hemp is regulated separately from adult-use cannabis, processors and retailers must still meet strict standards for recordkeeping, packaging, labeling, processing, and testing.

MRTA Article 3, Sections 30, 31, 32, 41, and 42 define how patients qualify, how certification and registry systems work, what lawful medical use includes, how home cultivation is regulated, and what legal protections apply.

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 is an at-will state, but you can still be sued for wrongful termination. This page explains what you can fire for, what you cannot, and the payroll, discrimination, and retaliation traps that hit dispensaries.

A $20 wholesale item is not a $10 profit just because you doubled the price. Real profit gets eaten by labor, rent, security, cash handling, payment fees, and 280E. This page shows the exact per unit math and a $500k monthly NY example so you can price and buy inventory without going broke.

Federal environmental laws regulate how hazardous waste is stored, labeled, and disposed of. While cannabis itself is not regulated as hazardous waste, many products used in dispensary operations are.

Cannabis banks monitor ownership, deposits, METRC alignment, investor disclosures, and compliance risk. This page explains the specific compliance triggers that cause cannabis banks to close accounts.

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.

This page answers: "What building, fire, and safety rules does my dispensary have to meet?"