Unlike pharmacies, which are regulated by the Department of Education, dispensaries are authorized and regulated by the Department of Health. Dispensaries can only distribute medical cannabis products. The Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) legalizes cannabis for adults 21 and older. This law establishes a framework that will comprehensively regulate cannabis in New York State in a way that protects public health and safety, while promoting social equity and economic development.
The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) will license growers, processors, distributors and dispensaries to grow and sell cannabis in New York. To protect consumer safety, there will be laboratory testing and packaging and labeling requirements for cannabis products. The Office will create a social and economic equity program to encourage small businesses and communities disproportionately harmed by drug policing disparity to participate in the new industry. See Table 1 below for more information.
NCSL's policy on state cannabis laws can be found in Additional Resources below. States with medical cannabis laws generally have some type of patient registry, which can provide some protection against arrest for possession of up to a certain number of products for personal medical use. Some of the most common policy questions regarding medical cannabis include how to regulate its recommendation, dispensing, and registration of approved patients. Some small cannabis growers or are often referred to as caregivers and can grow a certain number of plants per patient.
This issue can also be regulated at the local level, in addition to any state regulation. S 710 B (200) - The legislature overturned the governor's veto, SB 791 (200) SB 185 (200 Kansas*) (It's not marked on the map above because the state doesn't regulate the production or sale of low-CBD products. SB 339 (201) Texas Compassionate Use Act Marijuana State Policy covered in episode 4 of the NCSL podcast, Our American States. You can find it on our website or subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app.
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