New Rochelle, NY Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

New Rochelle did not opt out of retail cannabis under the state Cannabis Law. Chapter 331's DMU Downtown Mixed Use District use table lists an "Adult-use cannabis retail dispensary" as a permitted principal use at § 331-47A(15), on the condition that it sits "entirely within the ground floor of an enclosed building," operates during "Liquor Store Hours," and is "licensed by the New York State Office of Cannabis Management." Liquor Store Hours is a defined term in § 331-4: the hours a State Liquor Authority off-premises liquor and wine licensee may be open in Westchester County under Alcoholic Beverage Control Law § 105, so a dispensary's clock follows the same schedule as a neighborhood liquor store rather than a separate cannabis-specific hours rule.

Subsection (16) of the same use table adds "Adult on-site cannabis consumption lounges" as a second permitted principal use, again ground floor only, but tied to "Restaurant, Bar and Tavern Hours" and capped at "not later than 11:00 p.m." A lounge that wants to stay open past 11:00 p.m. can seek a special permit for extended hours under § 331-115.7, added by Ordinance No. 2025-19 on January 21, 2025, which lets the Planning Board match the hours the State Liquor Authority allows Westchester County restaurants, bars, and taverns to keep. The identical ground-floor, OCM-licensed use language for both dispensaries and consumption lounges recurs word for word in New Rochelle's other downtown and mixed-use district use tables, so the permitted-use track is not limited to a single zone.