New York Senators Approve Bill Addressing Medical Marijuana Reciprocity For Out-Of-State Patients And Pre-Rolled Joints

New York senators have approved a bill related to reciprocity for out-of-state medical marijuana patients and the availability of pre-rolled joints in the medical cannabis market—even though the state has already enacted those reforms separately.

The Senate Health Committee on Tuesday passed the legislation from Sen. Jeremy Cooney (D) in a 9-3 vote, advancing it to the floor for consideration, where on Thursday it advanced to third reading.

Under the proposal, a “person who is not a resident of this state, but who is authorized to engage in the medical use of cannabis under the laws of such person’s state or jurisdiction of residence, is deemed to hold a valid registry identification if the person provides legitimate documentation and abides by the legal limits on the possession, delivery and production of cannabis for medical purposes in this state.”

The legislation directs the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) to establish regulations, and it would also be authorized to “enter into reciprocity agreements with other states with medical cannabis programs.”

Further, the measure, S3105, tasks the board with promulgating rules for the “approval of pre-roll products in the medical cannabis program”—though those products are also already legal for patients to purchase under state law.

If passed by the legislature and signed into law by the governor, the reforms would take effect immediately.

Tuesday wasn’t the first time the Health Committee took up the bill. Last year, in the first half of the two-year legislative session, the measure moved through that panel and passed on the Senate floor before stalling out in the Assembly. Now the measure has cleared the panel again.

But the rationale behind advancing the measure is somewhat unclear, as the governor last year signed separate legislation from Cooney into law that contained provisions that are in effect granting reciprocity to out-of-state medical cannabis patients. Also, patients are already able to buy marijuana pre-rolls, among other product types, under existing rules.

A spokesperson for the senator’s office told Marijuana Moment on Wednesday that the legislation enacted in November “was a little more big picture about the evolution of the program,” whereas the bill that moved through committee “is a little more targeted in its scope.” However, the staffer said they were awaiting further clarification from Cooney’s legislative team.

In addition to the reciprocity provisions, the already-enacted law streamlines the patient certification process and allows adults 18 and older to grow their own cannabis plants for therapeutic use.

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Meanwhile, last month the senator separately introduced legislation that would allow New York liquor and wine stores to obtain a permit to sell low-dose cannabis-infused drinks at their businesses.

Also, the governor of New York last month signed legislation into law that revises zoning requirements for licensed marijuana businesses, granting more flexibility to retailers located within certain distances of schools and places of worship.

In January, New York officials released a set of reports providing a 2025 end-of-year status update on the evolution of the state’s medical and adult-use marijuana markets—touting record sales, revenue hauls for state coffers, licensing approvals, equity initiatives and more.

All told, retail cannabis sales in New York have exceeded $2.5 billion since the passage of recreational legalization, including $1.6 billion that was generated last year alone as of November. Also, licensed storefronts nearly doubled from 261 in 2024 to 556 in 2025.

Last July, meanwhile, New York officials announced the first round of grants under a $5 million program to help retail marijuana businesses owned by justice-involved people cover startup costs.