On Oct. 1, New York regulators said adult-use cannabis sales had passed $4.1 billion and set a Nov. 5 nursery license window

On Oct. 1, 2026, New York's Cannabis Control Board (CCB) reported that the state's licensed adult-use cannabis retailers had sold more than $4.1 billion in products since the market opened, and it approved a new application window for cannabis nursery licenses that opens Nov. 5, according to a press release the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) issued the next day. Marijuana Moment reported that the total covers sales since adult-use sales began in late 2022.

The board met at Monroe Community College's Brighton campus in Rochester, according to OCM's meeting page. This report is a dated recap: the meeting took place more than three weeks ago, and the section on current status below notes what has happened since.

The sales numbers

OCM said reported retail sales passed $4.1 billion program-to-date. Third-quarter 2026 sales reached $512.6 million, bringing the year-to-date total to $1.41 billion, according to the release.

For comparison, Marijuana Moment reported that when Gov. Kathy Hochul marked the five-year anniversary of adult-use legalization in March, the state highlighted $3.3 billion in retail sales at that point and the opening of more than 600 licensed cannabis shops.

How many businesses are licensed

According to OCM, the board's 14 new approvals brought the number of cannabis licenses issued statewide to 2,351. The new approvals were two adult-use cultivator licenses, five adult-use processor licenses, four adult-use retail dispensary licenses and three Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses. The board also approved 70 adult-use license renewals, six CAURD renewals and 26 license amendments, the office said.

OCM said New York has 1,981 adult-use licenses in all: 280 cultivators, 241 distributors, 329 microbusinesses, 582 processors, 548 retail dispensaries and 370 CAURD licensees.

On the retail side, the state has licensed 1,039 adult-use retailers, a count that includes retail dispensaries and microbusinesses allowed to sell at retail. Of those, 712 have reported opening, while 327 licensed retailers have not yet opened, according to the release.

Social and economic equity

OCM said 56 percent of all adult-use licenses statewide have been awarded to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, a category that includes minority-owned, women-owned and service-disabled veteran-owned businesses. Marijuana Moment reported that almost two-thirds, 64 percent, of the new licenses issued at the Oct. 1 meeting met that designation.

"SEE businesses aren't just entering New York's cannabis market — they're helping shape it," L. Simone Washington, OCM's chief equity officer, said in the release. "That representation across the supply chain is meaningful progress, and our work is to make sure these businesses have the support to grow and thrive."

The office also opened recruitment for the next phase of its SEE Cultivation Working Group, which it said will bring together SEE licensees, state agencies, community-based organizations and advocacy groups to identify barriers and needs on the cultivation side of the supply chain. OCM said interested stakeholders could submit an interest form beginning Oct. 1.

The nursery license window

The board approved application forms for certain nursery license types under Article 4 of the state Cannabis Law and directed a new application period, according to OCM's list of resolutions passed at the meeting. The window is scheduled to open Nov. 5, 2026, and will close once the office receives 50 application submissions, the release said.

"Opening the nursery application window is another step in building out a complete and resilient New York supply chain," OCM Executive Director John Kagia said in the release. "This nursery license will ensure that New York Cultivators have access to the best available genetics and enable the market to better understand how genetic selection at the farm translates into product choices at the store."

More time for provisional licensees

The board also extended the provisional license period for CAURD and adult-use retail dispensary provisional licensees. Under the action, provisional licensees, including those whose provisional licenses are issued through Dec. 31, 2027, would have until Dec. 31, 2028, to submit the outstanding information required for final approval, according to OCM.

"From creating a new pathway for cannabis nurseries and giving provisional licensees more time to reach final licensure, to bringing Social and Economic Equity cultivators directly into the conversation, we're continuing to build a market with more ways to participate and succeed," CCB Chair Jessica García said in the release.

A penalty and pending investigations

The board affirmed an Aug. 6 declaratory ruling about the CAURD license held by Gotham Buds, finding that the licensee's operating agreement violates sole-control and proportionality requirements meant to ensure that justice-involved licensees keep primary decision-making authority over their businesses, according to OCM. The board imposed a $35,000 civil penalty and directed Gotham Buds to submit a fully executed, compliant operating agreement within 90 days. OCM said missing that deadline would bring additional, escalating financial penalties, and that if substantial compliance is not achieved within 180 days, the board may consider other actions under the Cannabis Law, including license suspension.

OCM also briefed the board on four ongoing investigations. The office said they involve alleged cultivation or processing at unapproved locations, a dispensary's alleged operation in violation of board-mandated requirements and a possible transfer of cannabis products to an unlicensed entity. OCM said the allegations have not been presented as final findings, and the board directed the office to report on all four at its next meeting.

Research and reporting deadlines

The board considered a cannabis research license application for a clinical study of VER-01, an investigational cannabis-derived product, as a potential non-opioid treatment for chronic low back pain. OCM said that, if approved, the applicant would become the first research licensee in the state seeking to test an investigational cannabis product against a placebo in a human clinical trial. The meeting page lists a resolution to issue a cannabis research license among those passed.

OCM also reminded licensed suppliers that they had until Oct. 22, 2026, to report delinquent payments for credit transfers made before Sept. 15 through its C.O.D. reporting platform, and that the platform's delinquent-payment reporting would be permanently disabled on Oct. 23. Delinquencies tied to transfers on or after Sept. 15 should be reported through Metrc, the office said. Separately, licensees authorized to cultivate who missed an Aug. 31 resource-reporting deadline must report by Oct. 31, 2026.

Other New York developments

Marijuana Moment reported that Hochul recently signed legislation clarifying that marijuana microbusinesses can fully take part in cannabis farmers' markets and pop-up events, a program for which OCM began accepting applications from dispensaries in May. The outlet also reported that a coalition of New York cannabis businesses has asked the governor to veto a bill that would create a Cannabis Wage Board to recommend minimum hourly wages for industry workers. An action alert from the Cannabis Association of New York said the proposal would "create significant uncertainty for operators at a time when many are finally beginning to find their footing after years of regulatory delays, capital constraints, and continued competition from the illicit market," according to Marijuana Moment.

Current status and what's next

As of Oct. 25, 2026, OCM's site says all C.O.D. and delinquent payment reporting has transitioned to Metrc, and the Oct. 22 and Oct. 23 payment-reporting dates have passed. The nursery application window is set to open Nov. 5. The cultivation resource-reporting deadline is Oct. 31. OCM's Cannabis Control Board page lists the board's next meeting for Thursday, Dec. 3, 2026, in New York City, which is when the board asked for reports on the four pending investigations. Hemp Law Watch found no later OCM announcement changing the nursery window or the provisional license extension.

This report summarizes official statements and news coverage. It is not legal advice.