Cannabis Safety

Safe Storage

Safely and securely storing cannabis in a locked place can help lower the risk of accidental ingestion.

  • Cannabis products should be out of sight and out of reach of children and pets. Consider using a safe or a lockbox with a combination lock or keypad.
  • Keep cannabis products in their original packaging. Labels on cannabis products from licensed cannabis dispensaries will have important information including how much THC is in the product.
  • Infused cannabis products (also known as edibles) should never be stored in a shared fridge or pantry near other food products where they may be accidentally consumed.

Safe Storage Guide from the Office of Cannabis Management (PDF)

Impaired Driving

A driver may not operate a motor vehicle under the influence of cannabis. Cannabis affects everyone differently. This makes it difficult to estimate the effects or to predict when the effects will wear off. Driving under the influence of cannabis can slow motor coordination and other skills needed to drive safely. If you drive under the influence of cannabis, you risk hurting yourself or others.

Vehicle and Traffic Law § 1227 (1) also prohibits the burning of cannabis by anyone in a vehicle. Any driver or passenger engaged in a violation of the open container law will be charged with a traffic infraction.

  • While it is legal for adults 21 or older to possess cannabis in a vehicle, cannabis should always be securely stored and in a closed container.
  • Drivers and passengers may possess up to only three (3) ounces of cannabis -- and up to twenty-four (24) grams of concentrated cannabis. These are the Adult-Use quantity limits set by the state.
  • It is illegal for anyone in a vehicle to have open containers of cannabis. Like alcohol, no open containers or packaging is permitted for drivers or passengers while in a vehicle.
  • The driver or any passengers may not smoke cannabis while in a vehicle – moving or parked.

View Additional Information from the Governor's Traffic Safety Committee

Cannabis and Fentanyl

Fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid that is 50-100 times more potent than morphine -- and 30-50 times more potent than heroin. It is most frequently used in monitored medical treatment as a prescribed pain reliever and for anesthesia in operating rooms throughout the country. However, like heroin and other opioids, it can be highly addictive.

Fentanyl is illegally sold on the streets as a white powder or in pill form. It is now found in all powder sold as heroin, and it can also be found in powder cocaine, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, MDMA – commonly known as ecstasy, and molly or mandy -- and other pills. It has fueled the opioid overdose crisis. There is no evidence that fentanyl is added to cannabis, or that it is tainting the cannabis markets.

  • There have been no verified incidents of fentanyl-laced cannabis; There is certainly no fentanyl in legal, commercial cannabis.
  • People who have concerns about fentanyl-laced cannabis can eliminate their risk by buying legal cannabis or avoiding cannabis altogether.
  • There is no guarantee that any unregulated cannabis product is free from contaminants or harmful ingredients.
  • It is possible that people have overdosed on opioid-laced, synthetic cannabinoid products under the illusion that they are consuming cannabis.

Cannabis and Fentanyl Facts Sheet from the Office of Cannabis Management (PDF)

Synthetic Cannabis

Synthetic cannabinoids are not natural products. They are chemical mixtures created in a laboratory to mimic THC and sprayed on plant material to look like cannabis. There is no consistency in terms of content to the mixtures. These products vary in strength and psychoactive content. Hundreds of different synthetic cannabinoid chemicals are manufactured and sold each year at convenience stores, gas stations, head shops, and bodegas, as well as by individuals, under a variety of names, including K2, Spice, and other names. Users often believe they are safe, but many are illegal, contain other (often unknown) chemicals, and have unpredictable and harmful effects.

Cannabis and Opioid Use

Some conditions that patients use medical cannabis for are, Opioid Use Disorder or Substance Use Disorder. Cannabis is not recommended as an alternative for medication-assisted treatment. Individuals who use opioids should always talk with their healthcare provider, or a substance use counselor before using cannabis. Individuals can also call the Office of Addiction Services and Supports (1-877-846-7369) or visit oasas.ny.gov to learn more about addiction treatment.