New YorkS 32942025-2026 Regular SessionSenateWALLET

Relating to medical use of cannabis and to the controlled substances therapeutic research act; repealer

Sponsored By: Jeremy Cooney (Democratic)

Signed by Governor

HEALTHCODES

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

10 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 2 costs, 5 mixed.

Cannabis patients gain protections against misconduct

Beginning 90 days after enactment, practitioners and dispensary representatives or employees face a class A misdemeanor for knowing, fraudulent record manipulation. Covered knowing negligence or duty-related actions that seriously threaten a certified patient’s health and safety also carry that penalty. The board or office can refer practitioner findings to the Health or Education Department when professional discipline is warranted.

Patients gain higher cannabis possession limits

Beginning 90 days after enactment, patients can possess the greater of the Penal Law section 222.05 amount or a 60-day supply. During the last seven days of that period, they can also hold the next 60-day supply. Caregivers can hold the corresponding amount for their patients, following board guidance and regulations. Dispensing amounts are governed by Cannabis Law section 31, replacing the former 60-day dispensing cap, prior-supply checks, and dispensing registry check. This chunk does not state section 31’s amounts.

Longer certifications for medical cannabis patients

Beginning 90 days after enactment, medical cannabis certifications usually last two years instead of one. Practitioners can set earlier end dates, extend certifications before expiration, or make terminally ill patients’ certifications last until death. They must reissue expired certifications when they decide the patient benefits from medical cannabis. Practitioners must give patients or caregivers a verifiable certification and keep a copy in the patient’s health record. The law removes the prescription registry check before certification, but requires board-set training instead of the former two-hour course.

Patients can grow cannabis, not sell

Beginning 90 days after enactment, certified patients age 18 or older can grow cannabis for personal medical use. Caregivers age 18 or older can grow for minors or patients whose physical or cognitive impairment prevents cultivation. No other caregiver can already be growing for that patient; caregiver plant limits increase proportionally with the patients served. Growing must follow state cultivation rules, and gifts to other certified patients cannot exceed Cannabis Law section 31 amounts. Sales are banned, even when cannabis is no longer needed; violations can bring cannabis, criminal, and tax penalties.

Traveling patients gain medical cannabis access

Beginning 90 days after enactment, patients certified or registered elsewhere in the United States can obtain medical cannabis in New York. This includes patients from states, territories, possessions, commonwealths, and the District of Columbia. They must show home-jurisdiction certification or registration and valid government photo ID; New York dispensaries must validate them. Visiting patients must follow New York cannabis and criminal laws. New York patients can seek medical cannabis elsewhere, but access depends on that jurisdiction’s requirements.

Cannabis patient records stay private

Beginning 90 days after enactment, patient and caregiver certifications, forms, and database information are exempt from public disclosure. The Office of Cannabis Management must handle these records under federal health privacy rules. The office can verify patient status to designated parties, such as schools or employers, under its rules to secure protections. Certifying practitioners remain searchable on the board’s website unless they request nondisclosure in writing. Practitioners can cancel that request.

Therapeutic drug research program ends

Beginning 180 days after enactment, the law repeals New York’s Controlled Substances Therapeutic Research Act. This ends the Antonio G. Olivieri therapeutic research program and access through that program. Health, cannabis management, and education officials must coordinate prompt transfer of its records to cannabis management and the state archives.

Cannabis dispensaries face new reporting duties

Beginning 90 days after enactment, dispensing requires valid certification and government photo ID; caregivers must also prove their relationship or meet board requirements. Dispensaries must provide receipts listing the organization’s name and address, patient and caregiver names and registry IDs, sale date, form, quantity, and regulated prescription history. They must retain receipts for six years, keep earlier registry-card copies, and provide records to the office on request. Dispensing receipt and certification information must be filed electronically in real time, with electronic information disposal following board rules. The board must collect program data and publish relevant findings and recommendations in its annual report.

Cannabis patients and caregivers update registrations

Beginning 90 days after enactment, the law uses electronic, practitioner-supported registration instead of the earlier paper and registry-card system. Approved caregivers receive a code, which may be a QR code, and must show it when getting cannabis. Patients must promptly tell the Office of Cannabis Management when changing or ending a caregiver’s role. The office must notify and remove the former caregiver, and new caregivers must meet program requirements. Patients must report name or address changes to their practitioner; registered caregivers must report theirs to the office.

Younger cannabis caregivers, with patient safeguards

Beginning 90 days after enactment, the general caregiver age drops from 21 to 18; the office can approve younger applicants. Individual caregivers can serve no more than four patients at once; designated caregiver facilities and cannabis research license holders are exempt. Patients under 18 or unable to consent must have at least one caregiver and consent from their legal healthcare decision-maker. Consent covers medical cannabis and devices used to take it. Caregivers can include parents, guardians, their designees, or facility staff; the office can approve another person when no parent or guardian is appropriate or available.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

Jeremy Cooney
Democratic • Senate

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 222 • No: 47

House vote • 6/17/2025

Assembly floor vote

Yes: 138 • No: 3

Senate vote • 6/11/2025

FLOOR Vote

Yes: 39 • No: 20

Senate vote • 5/19/2025

FLOOR Vote

Yes: 37 • No: 19

committee vote • 5/13/2025

Health Committee Vote

Yes: 8 • No: 5

Actions Timeline

SIGNED CHAP.544
11/21/2025Senate
DELIVERED TO GOVERNOR
11/17/2025Senate
RETURNED TO SENATE
6/17/2025House
PASSED ASSEMBLY
6/17/2025House
ORDERED TO THIRD READING RULES CAL.717
6/13/2025House
SUBSTITUTED FOR A4759A
6/13/2025House
REFERRED TO CODES
6/11/2025House
RETURNED TO ASSEMBLY
6/11/2025Senate
REPASSED SENATE
6/11/2025Senate
AMENDED ON THIRD READING (T) 3294A
5/27/2025Senate
VOTE RECONSIDERED - RESTORED TO THIRD READING
5/27/2025Senate
RETURNED TO SENATE
5/27/2025House
RECALLED FROM ASSEMBLY
5/27/2025Senate
REFERRED TO HEALTH
5/19/2025House
DELIVERED TO ASSEMBLY
5/19/2025Senate
PASSED SENATE
5/19/2025Senate
ADVANCED TO THIRD READING
5/15/2025Senate
2ND REPORT CAL.
5/14/2025Senate
1ST REPORT CAL.1084
5/13/2025Senate
REFERRED TO HEALTH
1/24/2025Senate

Bill Text

Amendment A
5/27/2025
PDF
Original
1/24/2025
PDF

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