New York Senate Committee Approves Bill to Recognize Out-of-State Medical Marijuana Patients, Allow Pre-Rolls
- The New York Senate Health Committee approved Senate Bill 3105 to allow out-of-state patients to participate in the state's medical cannabis program and to direct regulators to approve pre-roll products, passing with an 11 to 3 vote.
- The bill permits non-residents authorized for medical cannabis in their home states to have valid registry identification in New York if they provide proper documentation and follow state possession and production limits.
- The state's Cannabis Control Board is tasked with creating regulations for implementing reciprocity agreements with other states and approving pre-roll products in the medical cannabis program.
- Despite approval by the full Senate in June 2025, the bill died in the Assembly, requiring supporters to reintroduce it through the Senate committee process again.
A New York Senate committee has approved a bill that would allow out-of-state patients to take part in the state’s medical cannabis program, while also directing regulators to approve pre-roll products in the medical marijuana program. Senate Bill 3105 was approved today by the Senate Health Committee in an 11 to 3 vote. The measure was filed in January by State Senators Jeremy Cooney (D) and James Skoufis (D).
According to the bill’s text, “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, as set forth in section thirty-one of this article.”
The proposal specifies that state’s Cannabis Control Board “shall make regulations to implement the provisions of this subdivision and may enter into reciprocity agreements with other states with medical cannabis programs.”
In addition, the Board “shall promulgate regulations for the approval of pre-roll products in the medical cannabis program.”
Although recreational marijuana is legal in New York, medical marijuana patients are allowed higher possession limits, products can contain larger amounts of THC, and products come in formulations not available in adult-use stores. In addition, the tax on medical cannabis is far lower than the tax on recreational cannabis.
In June 2025, the measure was given approval by the full Senate by a vote of 43 to 16. However, it ultimately died in the Assembly before the legislative session ended, forcing supporters to again put it through the Senate committee process.