New York will begin accepting applications for adult-use marijuana nursery licenses on November 5, but prospective licensees may have only a narrow opportunity to apply.
The New York Cannabis Control Board approved Resolution No. 2026-76 on October 1, establishing an application period that will end once the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) receives 50 submissions.
Applications submitted after the 50th submission will not be considered filed, and the associated application fees will be returned.
The move opens a licensing category designed specifically for businesses supplying marijuana genetics and young plants to other licensed operators.
Under New York Cannabis Law, nursery licensees may produce, sell and distribute clones, immature plants, seeds and other agricultural products intended for marijuana planting and cultivation. Those products may be supplied to licensed adult-use cultivators, cooperatives, microbusinesses and registered organizations.
State law also allows an adult-use cultivator to obtain one nursery license, allowing cultivators to operate a separate commercial nursery business and sell qualifying plant material to other licensed operators.
The state is offering three nursery categories based on cultivation method and operating size.
Outdoor nursery licensees may use up to 100,000 square feet and face a $750 license fee. Indoor nurseries and mixed-light nurseries are each limited to 10,000 square feet, with license fees of $2,000 and $1,000, respectively.
Those licensing fees are separate from the application fee required when seeking an adult-use license. Social and economic equity applicants may qualify for reduced fees under New York’s marijuana regulations.
Applicants will also need to meet requirements outside OCM. Nursery businesses must obtain a Nursery Grower Certificate of Registration through the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets as part of the licensing process.
The new application period comes after state regulators spent months preparing to activate the nursery category. During a September Cannabis Advisory Board meeting, OCM officials said they were targeting a November opening and were considering accepting roughly 50 to 75 applications during the initial round.
The Cannabis Control Board’s October 1 action settled on a firm cutoff of 50 submissions.
Unlike a licensing process in which applications remain open for a predetermined number of days or weeks, the nursery window could close quickly if demand is strong. The November 5 opening therefore creates a first-come opportunity for businesses seeking entry into a part of New York’s marijuana supply chain that has not previously had a dedicated general application window.
