S 8940: Increases the distance allowed between cannabis storefronts and premises for adult-use on-site consumption and school grounds and houses of worship; restricts their distance with a child day care.
What S 8940 does, verified April 24, 2026
The bill aims to update the cannabis law in New York State. It proposes to double the distance allowed between cannabis storefronts and premises where adult-use on-site consumption is permitted, as well as school grounds and houses of worship. The new distance limits would be one thousand feet from a school grounds or child day care, and two thousand feet from a house of worship. Additionally, the bill restricts the location of adult-use on-site consumption premises to be at least two thousand feet away from school grounds, child day care, and houses of worship. The changes will take effect ninety days after the bill becomes a law.
Bill journey
1IntroducedCurrent
2In CommitteePending
3First Chamber FloorPending
4Second ChamberPending
5GovernorPending
6ChapteredPending
Last action: REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS (2026-01-16)Alert me
Quick answers about S 8940
- What is the current status of S 8940?
- As of April 24, 2026, S 8940 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on January 16, 2026, was "REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS".
- Did S 8940 pass?
- Not yet. S 8940 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 8940, and where is it now?
- S 8940 was authored by Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton. Its committee of record is Senate Investigation & Government Operations. It is filed under CAN, alongside 66 other New York CAN bills this session.
Author and sponsors
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| Jan. 16, 2026 | REFERRED TO INVESTIGATIONS AND GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS |
Latest bill textIntroduced version, January 16, 2026 · 297 words
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 8940 IN SENATE January 16, 2026 ___________ Introduced by Sen. SCARCELLA-SPANTON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Investigations and Government Operations AN ACT to amend the cannabis law, in relation to doubling the distance allowed between cannabis storefronts and premises for adult-use on-site consumption and school grounds and houses of worship; and restricting their distance with a child day care The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Subdivision 6 of section 72 of the cannabis law is amended 2 to read as follows: 3 6. No cannabis retail licensee shall locate a storefront within [five4hundred] one thousand feet of a school grounds as such term is defined 5 in the education law or a child day care as such term is defined in the 6 social services law or within [two] four hundred feet of a house of 7 worship. 8 § 2. Subdivision 4 of section 77 of the cannabis law is amended to 9 read as follows: 10 4. No applicant shall be granted an adult-use on-site consumption 11 license for any premises within [five hundred] one thousand feet of 12 school grounds as such term is defined in the education law or a child 13 day care as such term is defined in the social services law or [two] 14 four hundred feet from a house of worship. 15 § 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall 16 have become a law. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD14461-01-6
Text of S 8940 as introduced, from the official record. Connect Plus keeps every version and highlights what changed.Compare versions