A change in New York’s cannabis labor law.
Chapter 369 repealed statutory labor peace agreement requirements. Separate disclosure and wage-board provisions take effect later.
New York changed a condition of cannabis licensing, with a second set of workforce provisions still to come.
Governor Kathy Hochul signed Chapter 369 on October 28, 2026. The law repealed statutory Labor Peace Agreement requirements in the Cannabis Law, effective immediately.
Two different timelines
Separate provisions covering applicant disclosures and a Cannabis Industry Wage Board take effect January 31, 2027. The disclosure provisions address ownership, management service agreements, pay ranges by job title and scheduled hours.
The wage board is to make recommendations, including on minimum hourly wages. Chapter 369 does not itself establish a new cannabis-industry hourly wage.
When the checklist still says otherwise
OCM’s published nursery guidance still lists a Labor Peace Agreement among application materials. That creates a discrepancy between the statutory change and the agency’s published checklist.
Applicants should confirm OCM’s current submission instructions rather than treat the outdated checklist as a definitive statement of the law.
Keep the immediate licensing change separate from the provisions taking effect in January 2027.
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