Nine New York cannabis license types will be issued to new businesses, two will be available to currently licensed hemp growers.
Adult-use Cultivator License
The Adult-use cultivator license allows license holders to plant, grow, clone, harvest, dry, cure, grade, and trim cannabis products within the premises of the licensed facility. In addition to a cultivator license, a licensee may apply for one processor license, but may not hold a direct or indirect interest in a retail dispensary within the state of New York. Cultivators may hold a distribution license, however, it can only be used to distribute their products. For this New York cannabis license type, ownership is limited to one.
Adult-use Processor License
Within New York’s cannabis licensing program, processing or manufacturing licenses allow for cannabis extraction and/or compounding, blending, infusing, or other forms of manufacturing cannabis concentrates or cannabis products. Additionally, processors may hold a cultivation license and/or distribution license, specifically for the distribution of their products. Licensed New York processors may not own or hold any level of interest in a New York cannabis retailer license.
Adult-use Nursery License
The New York cannabis nursery license is a cultivation-based license type allowing only for production of seeds, immature plants, clones, or other agricultural products used during planting, propagation, and cultivation of cannabis by those authorized to cultivate mature cannabis plants. An Adult-use cultivator may hold up to one nursery license. A fifty percent allocation for this license type is predetermined to apply to applicants who meet economic or social equity requirements.
Adult-use Distributor License
An Adult-use Distributor License allows for the wholesale of any cannabis product for which a license is required. This includes cultivated and manufactured products. This license allows the holder to acquire, distribute, transport and sell cannabis from the licensed premises of adult-use retail, on-site consumption, and adult-use delivery licensees. A New York distribution license holder may not simultaneously hold or have interest in a cannabis retail license.
Adult-use Micro Business
The Cannabis Micro-Business license allows for limited size cultivation, processing, distribution, and the retail dispensing of cannabis and cannabis-derived products. This license type under New York’s Adult-use Program allows a fully vertical business not previously licensed under the medical program. Cannabis micro-business license holders cannot own or hold interest in another New York cannabis license type. A percentage of allocation for social and economic equity applicants will be available with this type of license.
Adult-use Retail Dispensary
New York’s adult-use retail dispensary license allows for sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products directly to consumers age 21 over by delivery or at licensed facility premises. Licensees may not have ownership or financial interest in more than three adult-use retail dispensary locations, and may not hold ownership or financial interest in any other license type. Applicants must prove possession or complete control of the premises for at least two years prior to receiving final approval. New York adult-use retail dispensary locations must be at least 500 feet away from schools and 200 feet from churches.
Adult-use Delivery
The New York adult-use delivery license allows for direct delivery of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to cannabis consumers. Delivery licenses include no more than 25 full-time employees or equivalent. Holders delivery licenses may not have ownership or financial interest in more than one delivery license or any other adult-use cannabis license type within the state of New York.
Adult-use Cooperative
Unique to New York, the cooperative cannabis license allows for the cultivation, processing, and sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to licensed distributors, on-site consumption sites, registered organizations, or retail dispensaries. The cooperative members must be comprised entirely of New York residents as a limited liability company, limited liability partnership under the laws of the state, or an appropriate business structure as determined by the board. Members of the cooperative license cannot hold ownership or financial interest in a retail dispensary.
Adult-use On-site Consumption
The New York adult-use on-site consumption license allows for consumption of cannabis and cannabis-derived products on the licensed facility premises. This type of cannabis license allows for the sale of cannabis and cannabis-derived products to consumers over the age of 21 for use at the on-site consumption facility location. License holders cannot own or have financial interest in an adult-use retail dispensary, cultivation, processor, microbusiness, cooperative, or distributor license, or be a registered organization.
Adult-use Conditional Cultivator License
New York’s Adult-use Conditional Cultivator License is designed to allow eligible New York hemp growers to apply for a license to grow cannabis that contains over 0.3% THC. To be eligible, applicants must have been previously authorized and licensed to grow hemp under the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.
Adult-use Conditional Processor License
The New York Adult-use Conditional Processor License is designed to allow eligible hemp processors to apply for a license to manufacture and process cannabis products with a THC level over 0.3% for the Adult-use cannabis market. In order to be eligible, applicants must be authorized and licensed to process hemp-based products under the New York Department of Agriculture and Markets Industrial Hemp Research Pilot Program.
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Learn more about the New York cannabis license application process
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