The Ultimate New York Dispensary Guide
New York, a metropolitan jungle oozing history, culture, and charm from every square inch of its cityscape, is evolving immensely with the rise of legal cannabis. Adding to the list of landmarks that shape “the Empire State” are a pool of legal dispensaries in New York City and beyond. Currently, medical cannabis patients benefit from far more dispensary options than recreational consumers.
Raking in USD 1.8 billion in 2018 and surging at a skyscraping CAGR of 14.7%, the NY cannabis scene is reaping what farmers and suppliers are sowing, and things are only just getting started. Since the medical market blossomed in July 2014, followed by the adult-use sector in 2021, the urban area has developed a new identity altogether.
The Cannabis Association of New York represents the state's diverse cannabis supply chain and industry-serving businesses. Recreational legalization, which gained approval on March 31, 2021, led to the development of a new Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) overseen by a Cannabis Control Board that is tasked with comprehensively regulating adult-use, medical, and hemp cannabis.
Both medical and recreational cannabis dispensaries in NY are legal, but you'll probably see more medically-leaning establishments due to the shaky rollout of the state's adult-use market. Business licenses for retailers in both sectors are issued by the OCM, which is also responsible for developing regulations outlining how hopeful business owners can contribute to the budding industry.
If you are one of the state's 122,960 registered medical cannabis patients, you likely know where to buy weed in NYC already. After all, the medical segment sprouted in July 2014, when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation after a "lengthy, emotional debate" among Senate members and a vote of 49–10.
New York celebrated the inception of its recreational cannabis market on March 31, 2023. Governor Andrew M Cuomo's signing of the Marihuana Regulation & Taxation Act (MRTA) led to New York becoming the 15th state to legalize adult-use cannabis. Campaigners put up an intense fight in the year leading up to legal weed, inspired by the benefits of legalization elsewhere on the U.S. map.
While there might not be a New York dispensary for every qualified patient, the list of dispensaries in New York is gradually growing. Housing Works Cannabis Co. was the first recreational dispensary to open in the city on December 29, 2022. Since then, lawmakers have been busy drafting and updating New York's cannabis laws and regulations to accommodate the growing consumer demographic.
New York Weed Dispensaries
During the early days of adult-use legalization in New York State, the Cannabis Control Board and the Office of Cannabis Management announced that around 150 licenses were instantly available. The number of licenses doubled to 300 in March 2023 under the ruling of Gov. Kathy Hochul. However, only eight licensed dispensaries have launched for business in New York City so far, and 23 med/rec-merged weed dispensaries statewide.
Lawsuits and bureaucracy have left a gaping hole in the market, which came to a standstill in August 2023 after a group of military veterans against the NY Office of Cannabis Management initiated a lawsuit. The veterans contested the office's decision to grant drug convicts priority status for business licenses instead of a broader scope of social equity applicants. Soon after, the state was temporarily forbidden by an NY judge from awarding additional retail cannabis licenses.
After a four-month hiatus on the issue, the state Cannabis Control Board recently met to discuss the two legal cases that disrupted New York's legal industry in August 2023. Moving forward, regulators plan to prioritize cannabis retail licenses for hopeful entrepreneurs with storefronts.
With the arrival of 2024, regulators are anticipated to award up to 1,500 licenses for co-ops, dispensaries, distributors, and plant nurseries. Currently, there is a lack of available retail space for 300+ farmers and producers to serve New York’s cannabis market. Since December 2022, legal dispensaries have shifted 18,000 pounds of cannabis, indicating that there is a surplus of around 564,000 pounds in a stockpile with nowhere to sell it.
Retail store drivers can deliver medical and recreational cannabis directly to consumers’ doors. Some adult-use establishments extend their services to customers who want to purchase their goods from dispensaries in New York and beyond with drive-thru facilities. The product selections inside a medical and recreational New York dispensary typically do not differ too much, except that medical markets cater their goods specifically to patients with specific symptoms and ailments.
Dispensaries in New York generally do not differ in terms of quality. Recreational and medical consumers can legally possess three ounces of cannabis and 24 grams of concentrated cannabis. In contrast, medical patients can harvest five pounds of cannabis from their home-grown plants.
If you're wondering about recreational dispensaries in New York where you can shop without an MMJ card, or if you have another query, keep reading or refer to our additional NY patient FAQs.
New York Recreational Dispensaries
Although there are recreational dispensaries in New York, it is a stalled program. Currently, the number of dispensaries in NYC does not match up with the state's population, which rests at around 19 million residents. Fortunately for consumers, more licenses will be awarded in the near future, leading to an influx of new retail establishments. As of now, the OCM has issued 23 conditional adult-use retail dispensaries to cultivate, distribute, and sell cannabis to people of legal age across New York State.
New York could be welcoming new recreational marijuana dispensaries sooner than initially anticipated after a judge approved legal settlements to finalize lawsuits that delayed the state's legal cannabis licensing program. State officials are confident that the agreement will enable more than 400 hopeful retailers to progress with pending applications to open storefronts across the fourth most populous state in the U.S.
On December 14, 2023, Governor Kathy Hochul announced the launch of a dozen new recreational cannabis dispensaries in NY, stretching from Brooklyn to Buffalo. Those new operators were actively serving paying consumers by the end of December, by which point state officials claimed that at least 37 adult-use dispensaries were serving New Yorkers.
Below, we provide a list of a few potential NY dispensaries. At the time of this writing, there are fewer options in NY for recreational cannabis than there are for medical cannabis, but the list is expected to grow. Although we focus more on medical dispensaries in the next section to present the most options, here are a few adult-use cannabis dispensaries in New York:
MedMen - NYC - Serving both medical and recreational consumers, this well-known cannabis empire sits on 433 5th Ave, New York, NY (646) 846 5551
Cannabist - Brooklyn - The med/rec cannabis community of Brooklyn are invited to peruse product offerings at the Cannabist on 44 Court St, Brooklyn, NY. (212) 271-0925
Empire Cannabis Club - NYC - A recreational-only facility, the Empire Cannabis Club boasts six locations in New York.
- 424 Broadway, NY (646) 398-7155
- 446 Fulton Street, BK (929) 585-3669
- 833 Manhattan Avenue, BK (347) 457-6999
- 147 8th Avenue, NY (917) 633-1190
- 172 Allen Street, NY (347) 899-7348
- 262 Metropolitan Avenue, BK (347) 699-1580
Note that we’ll try to keep the list of legal dispensaries in New York City updated, but check with your nearby shop before visiting to confirm hours and product availability. Some of the establishments on the NYC recreational dispensary map may have additional locations in other cities. You can browse a complete list of dispensaries in NY to find a location near you.
New York Medical Dispensaries
The launch of medical cannabis dispensaries in New York was an anti-climax for many, with the number of licensed stores falling short of the registered patient count. As of July 2023, 122,960 patients were enrolled in the state's medical cannabis program, which is continuously growing and adapting alongside the recreational market.
You can view a full list of NY's current medical dispensaries on the state's website. All regulated, licensed dispensaries are legally required to feature their business on the Office of Cannabis Management’s Dispensary Verification Tool.
In a hurry? Check out one of the following medical dispensaries in NY:
- RISE - Clifton Park - 1675 US-9, Clifton Park, NY (518) 373-4147
- Vireo Health - Albany - 38 Fuller Rd, Albany, NY (518) 249-6350
- Etain - Manhattan - 242 E 58th St, NY (914) 437-7898
- Verilife - Liverpool - 642 Old Liverpool Rd, Liverpool, NY (315) 666-1185
- Columbia Care - Manhattan - 212 E 14th St, NY (646) 453-7178
- Sunnyside - New Hartford - 4776 Commercial Dr, New Hartford, NY (518) 219-8051
More medical cannabis dispensaries are slated to open in NYC and the surrounding areas once cannabis retail applications have been submitted.
What About Dispensaries in NYC?
Currently, there are just eight licensed dispensaries in New York City and 23 statewide cannabis dispensaries serving both medical and recreational consumers. This is according to the New York Office of Cannabis Management.
The number of legal dispensaries in New York City is expected to increase with time. Consider using the state's dispensary verification tool to find a complete NYC dispensary list. According to the current list of licensed businesses in New York's market, seven verifiable dispensaries are listed around the city (compared to hundreds of illicit shops with untested product).
State residents who are wondering where to buy weed in NYC can utilize this tool. Each time a new recreational dispensary in NYC opens for business, it is added to the list.
What is the minimum age to enter a dispensary in New York?
Based on New York's cannabis laws and regulations, the minimum legal age to enter a cannabis dispensary is 21 years old.
What do you need to enter and purchase from a New York dispensary?
You will need a valid state-issued form of identification and money to purchase whatever product you desire once inside the store. Cash is preferred.
When will recreational dispensaries open in New York?
As time progresses, you will be able to buy lab-tested, high-quality cannabis products from more stores. For now, people who want to visit a recreational dispensary in NYC are limited to just a handful of locations, and medical patients have access to far more (and more convenient) shops. Learn more about how to get a New York medical card to access more shops.
How much is medical marijuana in New York medical dispensaries?
People who are enrolled in the state’s medical cannabis patient program should be aware that medical marijuana prices by state tend to differ. Nonetheless, the average per-gram price of medical cannabis in New York dispensaries is $23.17, and cardholders can buy their medicine tax-free.
How much does it cost to get an MMJ card to access medical dispensaries in New York?
The cost of an MMJ card in New York is now free, with the $50 registration fee permanently waived. Patients are only responsible for the cost of their evaluation, which can be completed entirely online and at one low-cost, no risk price with NuggMD. If everything is good to go, your doctor will register you with the state of New York's MMJ registry. And you only pay if you're approved.
