New York Bill to Restrict Marijuana Billboard Advertising Advances to Full Assembly
- The New York Assembly Rules Committee approved Assembly Bill 9622-B, which seeks to impose new restrictions on marijuana billboard advertising, advancing the bill to the full Assembly for a likely vote.
- The bill, sponsored by Assemblymembers Peoples-Stokes, Lupardo, and Stirpe, aims to amend state cannabis law to regulate the content and placement of marijuana-related billboard ads.
- It defines “billboard” broadly to include any sign advertising off-site marijuana businesses and restricts such ads to licensed marijuana businesses only, prohibiting unauthorized third-party ads featuring licensees’ identifying information.
- The bill limits billboard content to specific factual information about the licensee and permits the state Cannabis Control Board to authorize additional regulated information; it would take immediate effect once passed and signed into law.
A New York bill that would place new limits on marijuana billboard advertising has cleared the Assembly Rules Committee and advanced to the full Assembly.
Assembly Bill 9622-B, sponsored by Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes (D), Assemblymember Donna Lupardo (D) and Assemblymember Albert Stirpe (D), was approved by the Assembly Rules Committee in a 19 to 8 vote, with four members absent. Following the vote, the measure was reported from committee and ordered to third reading on Rules Calendar 183, positioning it for a likely vote by the full Assembly.
The proposal would amend New York’s cannabis law to further regulate billboard advertising by marijuana licensees, including what information can and cannot be displayed.
Under the bill, a “billboard” would include any sign advertising something that is not located on the same property as the sign, no matter its size or where it is placed, and it would allow billboard ads only for licensed marijuana businesses. It would also prevent licensees from letting their name, logo, brand, address or other identifying information appear in third-party billboard ads that do not follow state cannabis advertising rules.
The bill would also restrict marijuana billboard content to specific factual information, including the licensee’s name, license number, logo, business name, address, phone number, email address, website URL, QR code, type of licensed business, slogan, hours of operation, opening status, authorized showcase events, social equity status and directional information to help consumers locate the business.
The measure would also allow the state Cannabis Control Board to authorize additional factual information through regulation.
Assembly Bill 9622-B would take effect immediately if passed and signed into law.