New York Governor Kathy Hochul reserved part of her 2026 State of the State address to cover a pair of cannabis industry initiatives designed to boost supply chain and health equity in her state.
Her administration is proposing a certified cannabis business incubator hub network, a workforce development partnership with SUNY and CUNY, and a CUNY Law Foundation pro bono initiative. The hub will tap service providers from across the state offering training and technical assistance in areas like legal and accounting to serve as a "one-stop shop for cannabis businesses from start-up to scale, with a focus on groups prioritized by the Social and Economic Equity program (SEE) and communities disproportionately impacted (CDI). These initiatives will be created with guidance and engagement from communities, service-disabled veterans, and distressed farmers, as well as other stakeholders across the supply chain."
She also said New York will launch a "first in the nation" Center of Excellence for Medical Cannabis and Health Equity to train clinicians on cannabis pharmacology, evidence-based care, and patient counseling. The center will be developed in partnership with medical schools and residency programs and aimed at increasing access to medical cannabis treatment.
The plans for New York's cannabis market come as it settles into some sustained growth. The state's Office of Cannabis Management recently announced that New York has passed $2.5 billion in cannabis sales. And as of November 30, 2025, 556 licensed adult-use dispensaries are open statewide, nearly doubling from 261 dispensaries in 2024.
