Section 132 - Penalties for violation of this chapter1.(a) Any person who cultivates for sale, offers to sell, or sells cannabis, cannabis products, medical cannabis, or any product marketed or labeled as such, without having an appropriate registration, license or permit therefor, including a person whose registration, license, or permit has been revoked, surrendered or cancelled, where such person is engaging in activity for which a license would be required under this chapter, may be subject to a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand dollars for each day during which such violation continues and an additional civil penalty in an amount of no more than five times the revenue from such prohibited sales or, in an amount of no more than three times the projected revenue for any such product found in the possession of such person based on the retail list price of such products; provided, however, that any such person who engages in such activity from a residence or other real property not otherwise held out as open to the public or otherwise being utilized in a business or commercial manner or any private vehicle on or about same such property, and the quantity of such product on such premises or vehicle does not exceed the limits of personal use under article two hundred twenty-two of the penal law, may be subject to a civil penalty of no more than five thousand dollars. Provided, further, that where such person has been ordered to cease such conduct pursuant to subdivision one of section one hundred thirty-eight-a of this article, such person may be assessed a civil penalty of no more than twenty thousand dollars per day for each day during which such violation continues after receiving such order in addition to the additional civil penalties set forth above; provided, however, that any such person who engages in such activity from a residence or other real property not otherwise held out as open to the public or otherwise being utilized in a business or commercial manner or any private vehicle on or about same such property, and the quantity of such product on such premises or vehicle does not exceed the limits of personal use under article two hundred twenty-two of the penal law, may be subject to a civil penalty of no more than ten thousand dollars.
(b) If a person engaging in the conduct described in paragraph (a) of this subdivision or subdivision one-a of this section refuses to permit the office or the board from performing a regulatory inspection, such person may be assessed a civil penalty of up to eight thousand dollars for a first refusal and up to fifteen thousand dollars for a second or subsequent refusal within three years of a prior refusal. If the office or board is not permitted access for a regulatory inspection pursuant to section ten or section eleven of this chapter, as applicable, by such person, the attorney general, upon the request of the office or the board, shall be authorized to apply, without notice to such person, to the supreme court in the county in which the place of business is located for an order granting the office or board access to such place of business. The court may grant such an order if it determines, based on evidence presented by the attorney general, that there is reasonable cause to believe that such place of business is a place of business which does not possess a valid registration, license, or permit issued by the office or board.(c) In assessing the civil penalties under this subdivision or subdivision one-a of this section, the board or office shall take into consideration the nature of such violation and shall assess a penalty that is proportionate to the violation; provided, however, that an affidavit from a representative of the office, the office of the attorney general, or a local government, or a local police officer confirming the presence of conduct described in this subdivision or subdivision one-a of this section following an inspection by the office after the office has ordered such conduct to cease shall be sufficient to establish a prima facie case that such conduct had been continuing for each business day between the initial inspection and the last observed or otherwise documented conduct.1-a. Any person engaged in indirect retail sale in violation of subdivision one-a of section one hundred twenty-five of this article, shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount equaling the lesser of three times the revenue for such indirect retail sales or up to two thousand five hundred dollars for each such sale, provided, however, that where such conduct also constitutes a violation of subdivision one of this section, such person may only be subject to the civil penalties under one such subdivision, and provided, further, that where such person has been ordered to cease such conduct pursuant to subdivision one of section one hundred thirty-eight-a of this article, such person may be assessed a civil penalty of up to five thousand dollars for each day during which such violation continues in addition to any civil penalties set forth above.2. Any registered organization or licensee, who has received notification of a registration or license suspension pursuant to the provisions of this chapter, who sells cannabis, cannabis products, medical cannabis or cannabinoid hemp or hemp extract during the suspension period, shall be subject to prosecution as provided in article two hundred twenty-two of the penal law, and upon conviction thereof under this section may be subject to a civil penalty of not more than five thousand dollars.3. Any person who shall knowingly make any materially false statement in the application for a registration, license or a permit under this chapter may be subject to license or registration suspension, revocation, or denial subject to the board, and may be subject to a civil penalty of not more than two thousand dollars.4. Any person under the age of twenty-one found to be in possession of cannabis or cannabis products who is not a certified patient pursuant to article three of this chapter shall be in violation of this chapter and shall be subject to the following penalty:(a)(i) The person shall be subject to a civil penalty of not more than fifty dollars. The civil penalty shall be payable to the office of cannabis management.(ii) Any identifying information provided by the enforcement agency for the purpose of facilitating payment of the civil penalty shall not be shared or disclosed under any circumstances with any other agency or law enforcement division.(b) The person shall, upon payment of the required civil penalty, be provided with information related to the dangers of underage use of cannabis and information related to cannabis use disorder by the office.(c) The issuance and subsequent payment of such civil penalty shall in no way qualify as a criminal accusation, admission of guilt, or a criminal conviction and shall in no way operate as a disqualification of any such person from holding public office, attaining public employment, or as a forfeiture of any right or privilege.5. Cannabis recovered from individuals who are found to be in violation of this chapter may after notice and opportunity for a hearing be considered a nuisance and shall be disposed of or destroyed.6. Except as otherwise provided for in this chapter, the board shall promulgate rules and regulations providing for notice and opportunity to be heard, prior to the imposition of any civil penalty under this section, except where such civil penalty is being sought in an action or proceeding by the attorney general as otherwise authorized in this chapter, provided, further, nothing in this section shall prohibit the board from suspending, revoking, or denying a license, permit, registration, or application in addition to the penalties that may be assessed under this section.7. The penalties provided for in subdivision one of this section may be recovered by the attorney general on behalf of the board or office in an action or proceeding brought pursuant to section one hundred thirty-eight-a of this chapter.8. Any person who knowingly and unlawfully sells, gives, or causes to be sold or given, any cannabis or cannabis products for which the sale of such products requires a license, permit, or registration under this chapter where such person owns and/or is principally responsible for the operation of a business where such products were sold, given, or caused to be sold or given without having obtained a valid license, permit or registration therefor shall be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. For the purposes of this section, "operation of a business" shall mean engaging in the sale of, or otherwise offering for sale, goods and services to the general public, including through indirect retail sales.Amended by New York Laws 2024, ch. 55,Sec. G-13, eff. 4/20/2024, op. to offenses committed on or after 4/20/2024.Amended by New York Laws 2023, ch. 56,Sec. UU-17, eff. 5/3/2023.Added by New York Laws 2021, ch. 92, Sec. 2, eff. 3/31/2021.