Enacts the "cannabis adult-use transition act"

Latest action Jan 7, 2026

Enacts the "cannabis adult-use transition act"; increases the number of members on the state cannabis advisory board from thirteen to seventeen voting appointed members; provides that an eligible registered organization shall be authorized as a registered organization adult-use cultivator processor distributor retail dispensary upon approval of an application to the office of cannabis management that must be available to such registered organizations no later than August first, two thousand twenty-five and remain available thereafter; provides that the office must approve or deny such application within thirty days of its submission or it shall be deemed approved; makes related provisions.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A7646, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Amends the Cannabis Law.

Committee

Investigations And Government Operations · New York State Senate

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

The purpose of this legislation, know as the "Cannabis Adult-Use Transi- tion Act," is to increase safe and legal retail access for New York consumers while the State continues to move toward full implementation of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Investigations And Government Operations
Senate Investigations And Government OperationsMay 28, 2025Result: passed
(6) (1) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Catalina Cruz, Cordell Cleare and 9 more on Agora

Democratic11

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Jeremy Cooney says this is needed

In 2021, New York passed the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, which legalized and regulated cannabis for adult-use in the state. In response to the delays in licensing, Chapter 18 of the laws of 2022 created the conditional adult-use cultivator and processor licenses to jump start New York's adult-use cannabis market with New York farmers. Due to a variety of circumstances beyond the control of New York's cannabis licensees and applicants, there have been delays and unforeseen challenges with the implementation of various components of the state's cannabis marketplace and industry ecosystem. Conditional cultivators cannot afford to process their cannabis or sell their finished products; conditional processors are struggling with limited retail outlets open; conditional adult-use retail dispensary licensees and applicants do not have ready and timely access to capital, locations, or the resources they need to become operational; and the state's medical registered organizations and patients are facing a diminishing medical cannabis market. As a result, the state's cannabis industries are losing value and jobs, patients are being left behind, and the illicit market is growing. This retail-side focused bill reflects the need to amend the existing cannabis statute in order to address the critical needs of retail entre- preneurs and industry workers. This bill: extends the members of the Cannabis Advisory Board to seven- teen members; expands the retail outlets available to farmers pending a more comprehensive adult-use cannabis roll out; mandates CAURD licensees be provided with the support and resources envisioned in the MRTA; and clarifies the registered organizations' transition into the adult-use cannabis program. There are additional policy changes needed in the cannabis industry, but this bill attempts to address the most critical needs for the active retail licensees and workforce. New York State cannot wait to make these necessary changes or there may not be a legal market left to change.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
NY Assembly
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
NY Senate
May 28, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
NY Senate
Apr 4, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
NY Assembly
Jan 23, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Nov 3, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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