LICENSING
The Office of Cannabis Management's (OCM) adult-use cannabis market was established upon the passage of the Cannabis Law in March 2021. The Cannabis Law legalized cannabis for adults 21 years of age or older, but cannabis legalization represents more than a shift in New York’s drug policies — it introduces a path forward for New York, to bring economic opportunities to every corner of the State, to build an equitable cannabis industry, and to set a new example of how this market can be used as a tool to improve our communities when entrepreneurs are equipped with adequate resources and education.
OCM is charged with overseeing the adult-use, medical, and cannabinoid hemp industries in New York, as well as establishing the regulations governing how and when a person or business may apply for and receive a license. With a goal of awarding 50% of all licenses to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, OCM will actively promote the participation of individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by cannabis prohibition policies, minority and women owned businesses, distressed farmers, and service-disabled veterans.
Now Open
Processor Type 3 Branding License Application
New Adult-Use Processor Type 3 branding license is now available.
The branding license authorizes the brand licensee to enter into white label agreements with duly licensed cannabis processors in NYS who will manufacture the brand’s cannabis products. This license type DOES NOT authorize any cannabis plant touching activity or require a licensed premises in New York State.
What does this license do?
The cannabis regulations state a processor may only enter into a branding or white labeling agreement with its True Parties of Interest “TPI”, or another authorized licensee.
The Processor Type-3 Branding license allows cannabis brands to pursue white-labeling agreements with duly licensed processors without becoming a TPI in another processor.
The branding license type also captures ownership and TPI information for cannabis brands. With this disclosure, the Office can better regulate cannabis brand activity and the Cannabis Brand licensee must adhere to all regulations pertaining to undue influence and control, ownership limits and tier violations.
Introducing
Legal Online Cannabis Activities Locator (LOCAL) Map
The LOCAL Map is your essential tool for evaluating retail locations, checking municipal opt-out statuses, and accessing critical data for cannabis licensing in New York State. With features like proximity reports and insights into active and pending licenses near your chosen location, LOCAL removes the guesswork, making it easier to meet regulatory requirements efficiently.
Need to update your license records?
Adult-Use Cannabis Licensee Amendment Request Survey
This survey is to be used by Adult-Use Cannabis licensees to submit information to the Office to request an amendment to the licensee’s license record. In order for a licensee’s amendment to be considered by the Office, the request with all required information must be submitted via the Adult-Use Cannabis Licensee Amendment Request Survey.
Now Available
Responsible Workforce Training for All Cannabis Employees
As part of the Office's ongoing commitment to workforce development, we are announcing the launch of the Responsible Workforce Training (RWT) program. This initiative includes two new, no-cost online courses developed in partnership with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL). All persons performing activities under a licensed cannabis business, must complete mandatory Responsible Workforce Training.
PowerScore
Cannabis Resource Manager
PowerScore is a state-specific platform developed by the Resource Innovation Institute (RII) for energy, waste, and water reporting in controlled environment agriculture, including cannabis. Designed for New York State cultivators, this no-cost tool helps licensees track and manage resource consumption, potentially lowering operating costs while meeting state environmental standards. All authorized cultivators are mandated to use PowerScore.
Overview
Adult-Use Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
All adult-use cannabis products and medical-use cannabis products must be processed in accordance with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) standards, as applicable for the type of cannabis or cannabis product being processed. All licensees or registrants must maintain GMP standards in their processing facility operations for the duration of the license period. There are NO exceptions to the requirement to process cannabis in accordance with GMP requirements.
Good Manufacturing Practice Audit Requirements:
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is a quality control system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled in accordance with current federal regulations 21 CFR Parts 111 or 117 established by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Within one (1) year of commencing licensed/registered operations the licensee/registrant must submit proof of a qualified third-party GMP audit, of the licensee’s extraction and/or manufacturing processes, as applicable, to the satisfaction of the Office.
NOTE: Adult-Use Cannabis Type 3 processor licensees and microbusiness licensees may request a conditional exemption under certain conditions, such as limited processing activities related to packaging, labeling, and branding of specified products. Conditional exemptions apply exclusively to those specific product types and activities and are contingent upon submission of a conditional exemption request and written approval from the Office.
Guidance regarding GMP audit requirements and additional resources can be found here:
Adult-Use Application Queues
The Adult-Use December Application Queues Now Available
The queues below were created using a random sequence process for all cultivator, processor, distributor, retail dispensary and microbusiness applicants that applied in the application window ending on December 18, 2023, at 5:00PM and were not considered part of the November Queue.
The queues provide the Office with the order in which to review Adult-Use applications. The random queuing process was audited by an independent third-party to ensure it was random and unbiased.
Here's What You Need to Know:
- The queues' order solely determines the order in which the Office will begin the review of each application.
- The queues' order does not indicate the order in which licenses will be issued. Each application is different, and the length of the review time will vary from application to application.
- Inclusion on a queue is not a guarantee of licensure and is not an indication of sufficient eligibility for a license. The Office will be reviewing applications on the queues for all aspects of license eligibility including, violations of ownership requirements and participation in illicit market activity during application review.
- Please closely monitor your email inbox to ensure you are receiving and responding to any messages from the Office regarding your application.
Proximity Protected Locations Map (PPLM)
All Proximity Data Now Available on LOCAL Map
As of January 17, 2025, the Proximity Protected Locations for Adult-Use Retail Dispensaries & Registered Organizations Table and the Proximity Protected Locations for Adult Use Retail Dispensaries & Registered Organizations Map (PPLM) have been removed from the Open Data platform.
For an alternative source, access the Current OCM Licenses table on Open Data and explore the Legal Online Cannabis Activities Locator (LOCAL) map using the buttons below:
The PPLM was initially published as a temporary tool to help applicants to assess site viability while the LOCAL map was under development. The Current OCM Licenses table and LOCAL map now provide the same information, including details on licensed and pending dispensaries with viable locations. Additionally, LOCAL offers a proximity report feature, allowing provisionally licensed retail dispensary applicants to assess address viability when completing their applications.
More information for how an Adult-Use Provisional Licensee can submit a new location for review is in the guidance below:
CONDITIONAL LICENSEES
Existing conditional licensees can still access relevant guidance, FAQs, and resources specific to their license type using the buttons below.
AVAILABLE APPLICATIONS
The Office has recently opened the Processor Type 3 Branding license.
Please see the Processor Type 3 Branding license tile below or visit the Adult-Use Licensing page for more information.
HOW DO I APPLY?
The Office has recently opened the Processor Type 3 Branding license.
HOW MUCH DOES IT COST?
Should a license be granted, the license fee will vary based on a variety of operational factors, including canopy size, planned business activities and SEE certification.
SEE entrepreneurs will be eligible for the following benefits in order to promote access and business viability:
- SEE applicants will receive a 50% reduction on application fees and application assistance from the Office.
- Eligible SEE licensees will receive a 50% reduction in licensing fees and direct support through the Cannabis Hub and Incubator Program (CHIP).
- Eligible SEE applicants will receive license review priority for adult-use cannabis licenses.
MARKET RULES
The True Party of Interest (TPI) framework in New York State is designed to protect the integrity of the two-tier cannabis market architecture and establish procedures for monitoring and enforcing the vertical and horizontal ownership restrictions. Ensuring compliance with TPI requirements is necessary for safeguarding the independence and autonomy of New York’s adult-use cannabis licensees. All cannabis licensees have True Parties of Interest (TPI). All TPI have either a direct or indirect interest in a license, but can be further categorized as:
- A direct or indirect financial or controlling interest (DIFCI), or
- A passive investor (PI).
Whether a person with a right to receive revenue or profit and Goods and Services providers is a TPI is based on the 10%/50%/$250,000 (10/50/250) rule. This rule states that a person has a financial and controlling interest, becoming a TPI in a license if, over the course of a calendar year, they receive the right to or actual payment from a licensee exceeding the greatest of:
- 10% of the payor licensee’s gross revenues;
- 50% of the payor licensee’s net profits; or
- $250,000.
Goods and Services Agreements (Section 124.3) creates a framework for non-licensee third parties interacting in various ways with licensees. These rules establish two classes of goods and services provider: exempt (which includes arrangements licensees have with their landlords, financiers, part-time CFOs, lawyers, accountants, and other goods and services providers who do not consult on plant-touching activities), and non-exempt (which includes arrangements licensees have with third-parties consulting on the licensee’s cannabis related activities). In addition, this section dictates the way these third parties can be compensated, and how agreements that are “stacked” together will be treated by the office.
TPI HUB
The TPI Hub is a centralized location for all documents related to True Parties of Interest.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
All applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Adult-Use Cannabis Regulations and all application resources to learn more about how to obtain and operate an adult-use cannabis license in New York State. Please note that this is only the first application window for general adult-use cannabis licensing. Future application windows for licenses such as nursery, delivery, cooperative or collective, and on-site consumption are anticipated. Please email [email protected] if you have any further questions.