Glossary

The ID a dispensary has to see before it can sell to you. California accepts a valid government photo ID, an Armed Forces ID, or a US or foreign passport (4 CCR 15404). New York accepts a valid US state or Canadian license, a passport from any country, IDNYC, a consular ID or a US military ID.

What ID to bring on a first visit Source · law.cornell.edu Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Also called recreational cannabis. Cannabis sold to adults 21 and older without a medical recommendation. California and New York license adult-use sales under state law, but federal law still treats adult-use cannabis as a Schedule I controlled substance.

Federal law, on our legal notice Source · cannabis.ca.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov Source · federalregister.gov

The code on a package that ties it to the production run a lab tested. A California shop may sell a product only if the batch number on the package matches the one on its certificate of analysis (4 CCR 15406(e)).

Batch, lot and UID on a label Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov

California charges a 15% cannabis excise tax on gross receipts (since 1 Oct 2025), and sales tax is charged on the total after excise. New York charges a 9% state and a 4% local retail tax on each adult-use sale, and no sales tax.

Taxes on your receipt Source · cdtfa.ca.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Short for Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary. The New York license program that opened the state's first adult-use stores, with priority for people and communities harmed by cannabis prohibition. A CAURD shop is a fully licensed adult-use retailer. The "conditional" part is about who received the license, not what the shop sells.

CAURD shops on our Bronx page Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Also called COA, lab certificate. The testing lab's report for a product's batch. New York labels carry a QR code or bar code that leads to it, and in California the batch number on the package has to match the one on the certificate before the product can be sold.

Reading a certificate of analysis Source · cannabis.ny.gov Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov

Also called concentrate. In New York, any cannabis material with more than 3% total THC by weight or volume (Cannabis Law section 3), which is why edibles and oils count toward the 24 g concentrate limit. In California, a customer may buy up to 8 g of concentrate a day.

Limits on New York's rules page Source · nysenate.gov Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov

Also called on-site consumption. A licensed place where cannabis may be used on the premises. California allows one only where the city or county authorizes on-site consumption (Business and Professions Code 26200). On 23 Sep 2026, OCM still listed applications for New York's on-site consumption license as anticipated.

Lounges on California's rules page Source · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov

The most one adult-use customer may buy in a day in California: 28.5 g of non-concentrated cannabis, 8 g of concentrate and 6 immature plants.

Buying and possession in California Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov

Also called DCC. California's cannabis regulator. It licenses cannabis businesses and runs the public license search we use to check every California shop we list.

California cannabis rules Source · cannabis.ca.gov Source · search.cannabis.ca.gov

The QR code sign that licensed New York dispensaries post near the entrance. Scanning it opens OCM's list of licensed stores, so you can check the address before you buy.

Checking a shop at the door Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Edibles sold in California and New York may hold no more than 10 mg of THC per serving and 100 mg per package (4 CCR 17304(a); 9 NYCRR 123.6(f)(1)).

Serving limits in the edibles guide Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov

The line federal law draws between hemp and marijuana. From 12 Nov 2026, hemp-derived cannabinoid products containing cannabinoids that a Cannabis sativa L. plant cannot produce naturally no longer count as hemp (Public Law 119-37, Division B, section 781). A stopgap law holds back the rest of the change, including the 0.4 mg total THC per container cap and the rule on cannabinoids synthesized outside the plant, until 11 Dec 2026 (Public Law 119-103, Division B, section 2019).

Hemp and delta-8 in New York Source · govinfo.gov

Cannabis brought to you by a licensed business. In California only licensed retailers, microbusinesses or licensed nonprofits may deliver, and a city cannot stop licensed delivery on public roads (Business and Professions Code 26090). In New York, licensed delivery goes to homes and private businesses, not to parks, public spaces or anyone in a vehicle, and the driver checks ID again.

Delivery on California's rules page Source · leginfo.legislature.ca.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Also called MMIC. California's state ID card for medicinal cannabis patients. Cardholders who show it with a government ID pay no sales tax on medicinal purchases, though the cannabis excise tax still applies.

California's medical program Source · cdph.ca.gov

One license that combines several cannabis activities. In California a microbusiness must do at least three of cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and retail sale, all on the same premises (4 CCR 15500). In New York it covers limited cultivation, processing, distribution, delivery and dispensing of the holder's own adult-use products (Cannabis Law section 73).

A microbusiness storefront in San Jose Source · law.cornell.edu Source · nysenate.gov

Also called OCM. New York's cannabis regulator. It licenses adult-use businesses, publishes the list of licensed dispensaries and runs the verification tool that shops post at the door.

New York cannabis rules Source · cannabis.ny.gov Source · cannabis.ny.gov

Adults 21 and older in New York may carry up to 3 oz of cannabis and 24 g of concentrated cannabis (Penal Law 222.05) and may keep up to 5 pounds at home (Penal Law 222.15).

Buying and possession in New York Source · nysenate.gov Source · nysenate.gov

Categories under the federal Controlled Substances Act. Adult-use cannabis is still Schedule I. A federal rule effective 28 Apr 2026 moved only FDA-approved marijuana drugs and marijuana covered by a state medical license to Schedule III.

Federal law, on our legal notice Source · federalregister.gov

The state-required mark printed on licensed cannabis packages in California and New York. OCM says it appears on all legal adult-use products, so a package without it did not come through the licensed system.

The universal symbol on a label Source · cannabis.ny.gov Source · cdn.cannabis.ca.gov

In New York, a store that sells cannabis without an OCM license. Only OCM-licensed dispensaries may sell cannabis there, so a smoke shop selling it is not a legal dispensary, whatever its sign says.

Licensed dispensary or smoke shop? Source · cannabis.ny.gov