Verify · New York
New York cannabis rules: what to know and how to check
In New York, adults 21 and older can buy cannabis from dispensaries licensed by the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM). Check the store on OCM’s dispensary list before you buy. Licensed products must pass lab testing and carry New York’s universal symbol, and OCM runs a recall program.
Checked against the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) and New York law on . Next review: .
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.
Official source
New York’s cannabis regulator: New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)
- Check a business license Official license list
- See official recalls Recall notices from the regulator
- File a complaint Report an unlicensed business or a problem
- Regulator website Laws, rules and news
These links go to the regulator’s own website. CHSA does not copy or host license records, so you always see the official, current version.
What’s different in New York
One state agency, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), runs New York's adult-use, medical and cannabinoid hemp programs. It licenses stores, sets testing, packaging and label rules, and posts recalls.
Every licensed adult-use dispensary must post OCM's Dispensary Verification Tool near its main entrance. It has a QR code that opens OCM's list of licensed dispensaries. A sign alone is not proof, so check the store on OCM's list.
Adults 21 and older can use cannabis in a private home and in most places where smoking tobacco is allowed. It is illegal to use it in a car, or anywhere smoking tobacco is banned. It is also illegal to cross state lines with cannabis, even medical cannabis.
Cities, towns and villages had until December 31, 2021 to opt out of allowing dispensaries or on-site consumption. They can't opt out now, but an opt-out can be repealed. OCM keeps the list of places that opted out.
Hemp products follow different rules. A business needs an OCM license or permit to sell cannabinoid hemp products. OCM says synthetic cannabinoids like delta-8 THC made from hemp are not allowed, and smoked or vaped hemp products are for people 21 and older. A federal law changes hemp rules again in November 2026.
Licensed does not mean risk-free. Products must pass lab testing before sale, and OCM runs a recall program.
New York rules at a glance
These are the main state rules for adult-use cannabis. New York also has a medical program. Numbers in brackets link to the law or the regulator’s guidance.
| Topic | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum age | 21 and older to buy, have or use adult-use cannabis. Medical patients with a health care provider's certification can buy from a medical dispensary at 18 to 20, but can't grow at home. | Source [1] OCM adult-use information page; OCM home cultivation FAQ, question 20 |
| How much you can have | Adults 21 and older may have up to 3 ounces of cannabis and up to 24 grams of concentrated cannabis. They may give those amounts to another adult for free, but not sell them. At home, adults may keep up to 5 pounds in a secure place. | Source [2] Penal Law § 222.05; § 222.15 |
| Growing at home | Allowed for adults 21 and older since June 26, 2024. Up to 3 mature and 3 immature plants per person, and no more than 6 mature and 6 immature plants per home. Grow only at your own home. Plants must be kept secure, out of reach of anyone under 21 and not plainly visible from public view. Homegrown cannabis can't be sold. | Source [3] Penal Law § 222.15(1)–(2) and storage rules in § 222.15; OCM home cultivation FAQ, questions 1, 3, 4, 10 and 27–29 |
| Delivery | Allowed from licensed dispensaries, only during the store's hours and only to a home or private business in New York. No delivery to parks, schools, public buildings or a car. The driver checks your ID and you sign for the order. Orders are paid ahead; no cash. Daily limit by delivery: 3 ounces of flower and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis. | Source [4] OCM adult-use delivery FAQ, pp. 1–3 |
| Required lab tests | A dispensary may not sell a product that has not passed lab testing. Testing is done by an OCM-permitted lab and includes microbes, foreign material, metals, moisture and water activity, mycotoxins, pesticides, residual solvents and terpenes, plus THC and other cannabinoids. The lab issues a certificate of analysis (CoA). | Source [5] 9 NYCRR 130.22(a), (c); 130.23; 123.10(g)(16) |
| Labels | Labels must show THC and CBD amounts, New York's universal symbol, a lot number, an expiration date, the processor's name and license number, and a bar code or QR code linked to the lab certificate of analysis. Required warnings include "KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS", "Do not use if pregnant or nursing" and "Poison Center 1-800-222-1222". | Source [6] 9 NYCRR 128.5(a), (b)(3), (b)(5), (b)(6), (b)(8), (b)(9), (f) |
| Packaging | Retail packages must be child-resistant, tamper-evident and resealable if they hold more than one serving. Packaging must not be attractive to people under 21, for example with cartoons or by looking like candy, soda or snacks. | Source [6] 9 NYCRR 128.1(c), 128.2(a), 128.3(a)(1) |
| Edible THC limits | Edibles and other products you swallow may have up to 10 mg of THC per serving and 100 mg per package. Tinctures may have up to 10 mg per serving and 1,000 mg per package. Products can't be shaped like people, animals, insects or fruit. | Source [7] 9 NYCRR 123.6(f)(1), (e)(11) |
| Poison control | Upstate New York Poison Center or New York City Regional Poison Control Center (one number for both): 1-800-222-1222 . Free, confidential, 24/7. Call 911 if someone has trouble breathing or won’t wake up. | www.health.ny.gov |
New York recalls
OCM posts recall notices for licensed products. CHSA doesn’t keep a live list of New York recalls yet, so check OCM’s own list.
Keep the package. A recall notice lists the product and its batch or ID number, which you match against your label.
How New York compares
Compare New York with the other states CHSA covers.
Sources
- Adult-use cannabis information
- New York Penal Law section 222.05 (personal use of cannabis)
- New York Penal Law section 222.15 (personal home cultivation of cannabis)
- Adult-use cannabis delivery: frequently asked questions (PDF)
- 9 NYCRR Part 130: cannabis laboratories (adopted text)
- 9 NYCRR Parts 128 and 129: adult-use packaging, labeling, marketing and advertising (adopted text)
- 9 NYCRR Parts 118 to 125 and 131: adult-use cannabis regulations (adopted text)
- Office of Cannabis Management home page
- Adult-use dispensary location verification
- Current OCM Licenses (dataset)
- Cannabis consumers
- New York Penal Law section 222.10 (restrictions on cannabis use)
- Medical and adult-use home cultivation of cannabis: frequently asked questions (PDF)
- Cannabis product recalls
- Report an incident or complaint
- Local governments and municipal opt-out
- Medical cannabis program
- Medical cannabis dispensing facilities
- Cannabinoid hemp: information for consumers
- Current Cannabinoid Hemp Licenses (dataset)
- Hemp and the 2025 federal appropriations law: what New Yorkers need to know (PDF)
- New York Regional Poison Control Centers
CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.