New York Governor Kathy Hochul has signed Senate Bill S3294A into law, strengthening patient rights and expanding medical cannabis access across the state.
The amendments include:
- Allowing medical cannabis patients from other states to purchase from New York dispensaries.
- Streamline patient certification process and easing provider requirements
- Extending patient certifications from one to two years.
- Flexibility with possession limits for certified patients and designated caregivers.
- Allows certified patients aged 18 and older to cultivate cannabis at home for their own medical use
Commenting on the changes, Dr. June Chin, Chief Medical Officer, New York State Office of Cannabis Management said:
“Patients deserve a medical cannabis program that truly supports their care, and these updates move us closer to that goal. By expanding access and modernizing the system, we are ensuring that treatment decisions are guided by evidence, clinical expertise, and the lived experiences of the people we serve.”
According to the agency, the changes represents one of the most significant advancements to the state’s medical cannabis framework since its inception in 2016.
Senate Bill S3294A was an act to amend the cannabis law, in relation to medical use cannabis; and to repeal article 33-A of the public health law relating to the controlled substances therapeutic research act. Filed in January this year, it was sponsored by Senator Jeremy Cooney (D, WF).
According to the New York State Office of Cannabis Management annual report covering last year, By the end of 2024, more than 100,000 of the state’s residents were registered with the NYS medical cannabis program and nearly 8,500 registered caregivers. There were 4,454 certifying providers in New York, 21 medical dispensaries and 11 medical and adult use co-located dispensaries.
However, patient numbers appear to have dropped significantly. According to the Office’s web site, there were 81,500 registered patients as at November 1, 2025, while caregiver numbers were up — 4,647.
It’s not unusual for medical programs to suffer when adult-use cannabis is made legal. That happened in New York on March 31, 2021, but licensed sales for recreational cannabis did not begin until December 29, 2022.
More information on New York’s medical cannabis program can be found here.
