S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
8511
I N S E N A T E
March 8, 2022
___________
Introduced by Sen. SAVINO -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to including certain acts in
the criminal sale of cannabis
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 222.50 of the penal law, as added by chapter 92 of
the laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
§ 222.50 Criminal sale of cannabis in the third degree.
A person is guilty of criminal sale of cannabis in the third degree
when:
1. he or she knowingly and unlawfully sells more than three ounces of
cannabis or more than twenty-four grams of concentrated cannabis; or
2. being twenty-one years of age or older, he or she knowingly and
unlawfully sells or gives, or causes to be given or sold, cannabis or
concentrated cannabis to a person less than twenty-one years of age;
except that in any prosecution under this subdivision, it is a defense
that the defendant was less than three years older than the person under
the age of twenty-one at the time of the offense. This subdivision shall
not apply to designated caregivers, practitioners, employees of a regis-
tered organization or employees of a designated caregiver facility
acting in compliance with article three of the cannabis law.
3. ANY PERSON, WHILE EMPLOYED OR OPERATING A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT,
STORE, CLUB, OR FACILITY, WHO KNOWINGLY AND UNLAWFULLY SELLS, TRANSFERS,
GIFTS OR TRADES CANNABIS WITHOUT APPROPRIATE LICENSE OR AUTHORITY UNDER
THE CANNABIS LAW. ANY PERSON CONVICTED UNDER THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL ACT
TO PRECLUDE THE PERSON FROM SEEKING, QUALIFYING OR RECEIVING ANY PERMIT,
LICENSE OR AUTHORITY TO PERFORM ANY ACTIVITIES UNDER THE CANNABIS LAW.
Criminal sale of cannabis in the third degree is a class A misdemea-
nor.
§ 2. Section 222.55 of the penal law, as added by chapter 92 of the
laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
§ 222.55 Criminal sale of cannabis in the second degree.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14894-01-2
S. 8511 2
A person is guilty of criminal sale of cannabis in the second degree
when:
1. he or she knowingly and unlawfully sells more than sixteen ounces
of cannabis or more than five ounces of concentrated cannabis; or
2. being twenty-one years of age or older, he or she knowingly and
unlawfully sells or gives, or causes to be given or sold, more than
three ounces of cannabis or more than twenty-four grams of concentrated
cannabis to a person less than eighteen years of age. This subdivision
shall not apply to designated caregivers, practitioners, employees of a
registered organization or employees of a designated caregiver facility
acting in compliance with article three of the cannabis law.
3. ANY PERSON, WHILE EMPLOYED OR OPERATING A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT,
STORE, CLUB, OR FACILITY, WHO KNOWINGLY AND UNLAWFULLY SELLS, TRANSFERS,
GIFTS OR TRADES THREE OR MORE OUNCES OF CANNABIS WITHOUT APPROPRIATE
LICENSE OR AUTHORITY UNDER THE CANNABIS LAW. ANY PERSON CONVICTED UNDER
THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL ACT TO PRECLUDE THE PERSON FROM SEEKING, QUALIFY-
ING OR RECEIVING ANY PERMIT, LICENSE OR AUTHORITY TO PERFORM ANY ACTIV-
ITIES UNDER THE CANNABIS LAW.
Criminal sale of cannabis in the second degree is a class E felony.
§ 3. Section 222.60 of the penal law, as added by chapter 92 of the
laws of 2021, is amended to read as follows:
§ 222.60 Criminal sale of cannabis in the first degree.
A person is guilty of criminal sale of cannabis in the first degree
when:
1. he or she knowingly and unlawfully sells more than five pounds of
cannabis or more than two pounds of concentrated cannabis; OR
2. ANY PERSON, WHILE EMPLOYED OR OPERATING A COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENT,
STORE, CLUB, OR FACILITY, WHO KNOWINGLY AND UNLAWFULLY SELLS, TRANSFERS,
GIFTS OR TRADES SIXTEEN OR MORE OUNCES OF CANNABIS WITHOUT APPROPRIATE
LICENSE OR AUTHORITY UNDER THE CANNABIS LAW. ANY PERSON CONVICTED UNDER
THIS SUBDIVISION SHALL ACT TO PRECLUDE THE PERSON FROM SEEKING, QUALIFY-
ING OR RECEIVING ANY PERMIT, LICENSE OR AUTHORITY TO PERFORM ANY ACTIV-
ITIES UNDER THE CANNABIS LAW.
Criminal sale of cannabis in the first degree is a class D felony.
§ 4. This act shall take effect on the first of November next succeed-
ing the date on which it shall have become a law.