New York regulators have published a series of year-end reports outlining how the state’s legal cannabis industry has developed, highlighting strong sales, growing tax revenue, progress on equity goals, and expanded access for medical patients.
According to the reports, total legal marijuana sales in the state have now passed $2.5 billion since recreational use was approved. Of that amount, roughly $1.6 billion came in during the most recent year, through November. The number of licensed retail outlets has also grown from 261 stores in 2024 to 556 by 2025, nearly doubling in just one year.
The Office of Cannabis Management noted that New York continues to surpass its social equity targets. About 55% of recreational cannabis licenses are held by social and economic equity entities. Within that group, 50% are owned by people from minority communities, and 47% are run by women.
State officials also detailed enforcement efforts aimed at limiting illegal cannabis sales. In 2025, regulators carried out more than 2,000 enforcement actions, seizing more than $20 million worth of unlicensed marijuana products.
The reports also note changes to the state’s medical marijuana program signed into law by Governor Kathy Hochul. The updates expand access by simplifying patient certification, allowing reciprocity for visitors from other states, and permitting adults aged 18 and older to grow marijuana plants for therapeutic purposes. Officials said the changes are intended to modernize the program and better serve patients across New York.
Tax revenue remains a major outcome of legalization. From April 2023 through the end of November 2025, the state collected approximately $341 million in cannabis-related taxes from recreational and medical sales. However, officials acknowledged that sales are concentrated among a relatively small group of retailers. As of late November, the top 10 cannabis stores accounted for nearly 30% of all sales, while the top 50% of operating locations generated about 80% of total revenue.
The data also suggest that legalization has not led to increased youth use. Surveys show that the share of adolescents reporting recent marijuana use declined from 20% in 2013 to 12.5% in 2023.
Regulators also announced an extension for conditional recreational cannabis licenses, pushing the renewal deadline to the end of the year. The move is intended to give license holders more time to secure compliant locations, particularly amid zoning concerns affecting more than 100 businesses located near schools or religious institutions.
Separately, lawmakers passed a measure that would give marijuana distributors and manufacturers additional time to file quarterly tax returns. If approved, the filing window would expand from 20 days to 50 days after each reporting period ends.
This positive information coming after the hiccups that threatened to derail the program in its initial stages after the launch of legal sales comes as a welcome relief to industry players like Cresco Labs Inc. (CSE: CL) (OTCQX: CRLBF) that are happy to see new markets succeed at giving adults access to products from licensed outlets in states with enabling regulations.
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