File #: Int 1286-2025    Version: * Name: Location of adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries.
Type: Introduction Status: Committee
Committee: Committee on Consumer and Worker Protection
On agenda: 5/28/2025
Enactment date: Law number:
Title: A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the location of adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries
Sponsors: Farah N. Louis, Nantasha M. Williams, Joann Ariola , Julie Menin, Linda Lee, Christopher Marte, Selvena N. Brooks-Powers, Kamillah Hanks, Chris Banks, Susan Zhuang, Althea V. Stevens, David M. Carr, Frank Morano, (in conjunction with the Staten Island Borough Pre
Council Member Sponsors: 13
Summary: This bill would establish a prohibition of an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary being located within 500 feet of a public youth facility. “Public youth facility” is defined by New York State regulations as a location owned by a government that is accessible to the public with a primary purpose to provide recreational opportunities or services to children or adolescents, where the primary population is reasonably expected to be 17 years of age or younger. The bill would require the Commissioner of Consumer and Worker Protection to notify the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) of the prohibition for enforcement purposes and to establish outreach efforts to inform dispensaries and dispensary license applicants of the prohibition. The prohibition would not apply to a dispensary with a valid license as of the law’s effective date or to a dispensary license applicant with a location approved by OCM as of the law’s effective date.
Attachments: 1. Summary of Int. No. 1286, 2. Int. No. 1286, 3. May 28, 2025 - Stated Meeting Agenda, 4. Hearing Transcript - Stated Meeting 5-28-25

Int. No. 1286

 

By Council Members Louis, Williams, Ariola, Menin, Lee, Marte, Brooks-Powers, Hanks, Banks, Zhuang, Stevens, Carr and Morano (in conjunction with the Staten Island Borough President)

 

A Local Law to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in relation to the location of adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries

 

Be it enacted by the Council as follows:

 

Section 1. Chapter 4 of title 20 of the administrative code of the city of New York is amended by adding a new subchapter 16 to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER 16

LICENSED CANNABIS BUSINESSES

§ 20-699.31 Definitions. For purposes of this subchapter, the following terms have the following meanings:

Adult-use cannabis retail dispensary. The term “adult-use cannabis retail dispensary” means a business authorized by an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license, not including a conditional adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license.

Adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license. The term “adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license” means an adult-use retail dispensary license as described in section 72 of the cannabis law or successor provision.

Public youth facility. The term “public youth facility” has the same meaning as set forth in paragraph (89) of subdivision (a) of section 118.1 of title 9 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, regarding definitions applicable to rules of the office of cannabis management, or a successor provision.

§ 20-699.32 Location of an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary. a. Prohibition. An adult-use cannabis retail dispensary shall not be located within 500 feet of a public youth facility, as measured in accordance with section 119.4 of title 9 of the New York codes, rules and regulations, regarding distance requirements and measurements of distance requirements concerning cannabis businesses, or a successor provision.

b. Applicability. The prohibition set forth in subdivision a of this section only applies to:

1. An adult-use cannabis retail dispensary with an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license granted on or after the effective date of this subdivision; or

2. An applicant for an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license that has a location for the adult-use cannabis retail dispensary approved on or after the effective date of this subdivision by the office of cannabis management prior to a final determination on licensure.

c. Outreach and education. The commissioner shall establish and periodically engage in outreach and education efforts to inform adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries and applicants for an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary license of the prohibition set forth in subdivision a of this section. The commissioner shall make any materials developed for such outreach and education available on the department’s website in English and the designated citywide languages as provided in section 23-1101.

§ 2. Notification to the office of cannabis management. For purposes of enforcement through the office of cannabis management’s application and licensure processes, the commissioner of consumer and worker protection shall notify the office of cannabis management of the prohibition pertaining to the location of an adult-use cannabis retail dispensary and its applicability set forth in subdivisions a and b of section 20-699.32 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by section one of this local law, within 10 days after the effective date of this section.

§ 3. This local law takes effect immediately, except that subdivisions a and b of section 20-699.32 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as added by section one of this local law, take effect 60 days after they become law.

 

JGP

LS #5967/10176/11564/11575/15558/16079/16462

05/07/2025 3:00 PM