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How to check a New York cannabis license

Look the store up on the Office of Cannabis Management’s (OCM) list of licensed adult-use dispensaries before you buy. The name and address should match the store in front of you. If you can’t find it on the list, don’t buy there.

Checked against the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on . Next review: .

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.

1. Search OCM’s dispensary list

Every licensed adult-use dispensary must display OCM’s Dispensary Verification Tool near its main entrance.1 It has a QR code that opens OCM’s list of licensed dispensaries.2 A sign can be copied, so check the list yourself.

  1. Go to OCM’s dispensary list , or scan the QR code on the store’s Dispensary Verification Tool.
  2. Find the store by name, address or city.
  3. Check that the name and address match the store’s sign or website.
  4. Look inside for the store’s adult-use license. Licensed dispensaries must post it where shoppers can see it.3

On OCM’s list, names marked * are delivery-only locations with no in-person sales, and names marked are microbusinesses with a store.1

For more detail, OCM also publishes a Current OCM Licenses dataset with each license’s type, status and expiration date. It also lists applicants for stores that are not open yet, so look for a retail dispensary or microbusiness license with the status Active.4 Find it on New York’s open data site .

Smoke shops and hemp shops are different

A business must have an adult-use license to sell cannabis in New York.5 A smoke shop, convenience store or hemp shop that is not on OCM’s dispensary list can’t legally sell you cannabis.

Hemp sellers need a separate OCM hemp license or permit. OCM says synthetic cannabinoids like delta-8 THC are not allowed in hemp products.9 You can look up hemp licenses in OCM’s hemp license dataset .10

2. If you order delivery

  • Order from a dispensary on OCM’s list, through its website or by phone.6
  • Orders are paid ahead, online or by phone. Drivers can’t take cash.6
  • The driver must check your ID, and you sign for each order. You should get a receipt with the dispensary’s name and address.6
  • Delivery is only to a home or private business in New York, during the store’s hours. It can’t go to a park, a school, a public building or a car.6

3. Check the label and keep the package

Licensed products carry New York’s universal symbol, THC and CBD amounts, a lot number, and a bar code or QR code that links to the lab’s certificate of analysis. Warnings include “KEEP OUT OF REACH OF CHILDREN AND PETS” and the Poison Center number.7

OCM sorts recalls by risk and lists current and past recalls.8 Keep the package so you can match the lot. See OCM’s recalls page .

Looking for medical cannabis? Registered patients buy from medical dispensaries run by Registered Organizations. OCM keeps a separate list of medical dispensaries .11

If something doesn’t look right

You can tell OCM about a product, packaging or label problem, a possible illegal seller, or an unwanted health reaction with its online incident form. OCM reviews every report but can’t tell you the outcome.12

If you have serious symptoms now, call your health care provider or the Poison Center at 1-800-222-1222 .12

Report a problem to OCM · How to report a problem

Official source

New York’s cannabis regulator: New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM)

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.

Sources

  1. Adult-use dispensary location verification New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  2. Cannabis consumers New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  3. 9 NYCRR Parts 118 to 125 and 131: adult-use cannabis regulations (adopted text) New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  4. Current OCM Licenses (dataset) New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on data.ny.gov · Retrieved
  5. Adult-use cannabis information New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  6. Adult-use cannabis delivery: frequently asked questions (PDF) New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  7. 9 NYCRR Parts 128 and 129: adult-use packaging, labeling, marketing and advertising (adopted text) New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  8. Cannabis product recalls New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  9. Cannabinoid hemp: information for consumers New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  10. Current Cannabinoid Hemp Licenses (dataset) New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) on data.ny.gov · Retrieved
  11. Medical cannabis dispensing facilities New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved
  12. Report an incident or complaint New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) · Retrieved

Back to New York rules

CHSA does not test, certify or endorse products or retailers.