New York's licensed cannabis consumption lounges are coming. Every lounge will need a curated brand menu — and we are building those relationships now, before the doors open.
New York's Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) creates a licensed venue type where adults 21+ can purchase cannabis products and consume them on-site — similar to a craft cocktail bar, cigar lounge, or hookah bar, but fully regulated by the OCM.
Lounges are not dispensaries. They cannot sell cannabis for takeout. Every product is purchased for on-site consumption only — making the menu experience the entire product.
Lounge operators will source cannabis products from licensed NY distributors and build curated menus. Brands with strong stories, premium packaging, and proven dispensary performance will have the advantage.
Lounge buyers will think like restaurateurs — they will care about how a product presents, how it pairs with the experience, and whether the brand story resonates with their guests.
Lounges must install OCM-approved ventilation, keep all doors and windows sealed during consumption, maintain detailed purchase and inventory ledgers, and submit ongoing air quality reports.
The first wave of lounge operators is already securing spaces in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and Long Island. These are the markets Liv & Lili knows best — and where we are building relationships now.
The OCM is still finalizing regulations, but the legal framework is in place and operators are moving. The window to get positioned as a preferred lounge brand is open right now.
When New York's first consumption lounges open, the brands already in the distribution network — with relationships at the lounge operator level — will fill those menus first. Brands that wait until after licensing opens will be competing for whatever space is left.
Liv & Lili is already connecting with lounge operators who have committed to spaces across NYC and Long Island. We are introducing our brand partners now, so when the OCM opens applications and operators start building their menus, your brand is already the conversation.
The lounge channel will reward brands that invest in story, experience, and relationships — exactly what we specialize in.
Position Your Brand NowAs a lounge operator, your menu is your product. The brands you carry define the experience you deliver. Curating that menu — finding the right mix of flower, concentrates, and infused products that fit your venue's identity — is exactly the kind of work Liv & Lili does every day for dispensary buyers.
We represent a portfolio of premium brands across categories, and we know which products perform, which brands have the story to match a premium lounge experience, and which teams will show up to support your staff and your guests.
Let's start the conversation before you open. We will help you build a menu that makes your lounge worth coming back to.
Talk to Our TeamNew York legalized consumption lounges in 2021. Here is what has happened since — and what still needs to happen before the first lounge can open.
Governor Cuomo signs the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act, legalizing adult-use cannabis and creating the on-site consumption license type.
The OCM focuses on issuing CAURD and adult-use retail licenses to establish the supply chain. Consumption lounge regulations are deferred.
Multiple operators across NYC and Long Island sign leases for lounge spaces in anticipation of licensing, including a five-story space on Madison Avenue in Midtown.
As of mid-2025, the OCM has offered no estimated date for when consumption lounge regulations will be finalized. The core obstacle is a conflict with the Clean Indoor Air Act.
The OCM is expected to resolve the Clean Indoor Air Act conflict and publish final regulations for consumption lounges, opening the application window.
Once regulations are finalized, the OCM will announce an application window. Operators must demonstrate site control (lease or deed) and comply with proximity restrictions (500 ft from schools, 200 ft from houses of worship).
Licensed operators open their doors. Brands already positioned in the lounge channel — with relationships and distribution in place — will be first on the menu.
Whether you are a cannabis brand looking to be positioned in New York's first consumption lounges, or an operator building your venue and menu, we want to hear from you now — not after licensing opens.