NY State Cannabis Licensing Services

A storefront retailer licensee sells cannabis goods to customers at its premises or potentially by delivery. A storefront retailer must have a physical location, including an address where commercial cannabis activities are conducted. This license allows you to sell products at retail to consumers, for their off-site consumption. There will be a limit of three per person in New York State

A form of “retail” premise whereby patrons 21 years of age or older can purchase at retail and then also consume those cannabis products on-site, so long as they are compliant with local municipality regulations in so doing.

New York State’s Delivery license allows a licensee to provide delivery of cannabis products only, via up to 25 delivery personnel, from a central warehouse location. This warehouse location would have to be licensed and bonded, and would not, under any circumstances, allow any patrons on-site. This license specifically does not allow for a consumer-facing retail storefront.

A Microbusiness license is the only allowable form of vertical integration in New York State (other than the pre-existing medical licensees). This license allows one to engage in the cultivation of cannabis, the manufacturing of it, and ultimately the retailing of it. The only caveat here is that there will be tight restrictions on the amount of product that can be produced and sold – potentially capping your upside.

Various classes of grow/cultivation facility licenses will be available based on size of the proposed facility, proposed yield, type(s) of light sources utilized and specific activities proposed to be conducted on-site.

General Manufacturing licenses can include the following activities:

• Extraction (volatile and non-volatile)
• Infusion/emulsion
• Packaging and Labeling
• Other productizing

Manufacturing licenses can be combined with cultivation licenses, but don’t have to be.

Premise intended for storage of goods only – shall not be opened to the public at any time. Often times this permit is paired with a non-storefront retailer license.

A Testing Laboratory license allows a laboratory, facility or entity in the State of New York to offer or perform testing of cannabis goods. Testing labs must obtain proper accreditation. Testing labs may be issued a provisional license allowing them to operate while they obtain accreditation, provided that they meet all other licensure requirements.

A distributor licensee is responsible for transporting cannabis goods between licensees- whether it be for testing purposes, or for transporting cannabis goods between wholesale and retail licensees. They just may not transport any cannabis goods to end-users.

Distributors may obtain an ownership interest in a traditional wholesale cannabis company. However, if they do, then they are restricted to distributing only the products from that wholesale company.

Similar to liquor license renewals, once you’ve been approved for your license, the hardest work is behind you. You do, however, bear the burden of renewing your license timely in advance of each expiration period. While this isn’t the most challenging process, there are many subtle pitfalls, and the end result of a misstep could cost you your license – at least for a time. We have a licensing team, focused on renewals specifically, and we have a system to ensure that your renewals are handled correctly and in a timely manner.

Whenever a change is made, of any kind, to your business, that change must be memorialized with the proper licensing/regulatory authority. Whether you change the layout of your space, the size, the character of it, of whether you’re simply making an ownership or corporate change of some kind. Regardless of the actual change, there is a filing needed with the State to memorialize it. We have systems in place to effectuate any change applications, and we have a professional team, that will ensure that your premise remains compliant.