Last verified: March 2026
License Categories
The MRTA created a diverse licensing framework designed to support businesses of all sizes:
Retail Dispensary
Adult-use retail licenses for storefronts selling cannabis products directly to consumers. Includes both CAURD (equity-first) licenses and general retail licenses. This is the most sought-after license type.
Cultivation
Licenses for growing cannabis. Available in multiple tiers based on canopy size, from small craft operations to large-scale indoor and outdoor facilities. New York's craft cultivation licenses have enabled the Hudson Valley's farm-to-table cannabis movement.
Processing
Licenses for manufacturing cannabis products including edibles, concentrates, tinctures, and topicals from raw cannabis materials.
Distribution
Licenses for the wholesale distribution of cannabis products from cultivators and processors to retail dispensaries. Distributors pay the 9% wholesale excise tax.
Delivery
Dedicated delivery licenses for operators who deliver cannabis directly to consumers. Separate from dispensary delivery, which is available to retail licensees.
Microbusiness
A combined license allowing small-scale cultivation, processing, distribution, and retail in a single operation. This is the only exception to New York's prohibition on vertical integration, designed to support small entrepreneurs.
Registered Organization (RO)
Legacy medical cannabis operators (originally 5, now 19) that have converted to adult-use sales. These established operators include Curaleaf, PharmaCann/Verilife, and The Botanist.
Social Equity Priority
As of late 2025, 55% of all adult-use licenses have gone to Social and Economic Equity (SEE) applicants, exceeding the MRTA's 50% target. Among retail dispensary licenses specifically, 77% are held by SEE businesses. See our social equity page for full details.
Official Resources
For in-depth cannabis education, dosing guides, safety information, and research summaries, visit our partner site TryCannabis.org