How New York’s Next Mayor Will Shape the Future of Cannabis in the State
November 3, 2025
As New Yorkers prepare to head to the polls to vote for their new Mayor tomorrow (Tuesday, November 04), the state’s vast but unsettled cannabis market has become a key battleground for the three hopefuls.
Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa all present divergent visions for enforcement, licensing and equity in the state’s cannabis market, and whoever manages to clinch victory in this increasingly tight contest will largely determine its future direction.
The results will become clear just days before Business of Cannabis: New York 2025 on 6 November, where policymakers, investors and operators will gather to dissect the future of cannabis regulation under new leadership.
Below we’ve broken down each candidate’s public stance on cannabis in New York, and consider how they are likely to deal with the litany of issues the state’s industry faces, from lawsuits, to zoning issues and a resilient black market.
Candidate stances
Zohran Mamdani (Democrat)
The 34-year old, born in Kampala, Uganda, is a self-proclaimed socialist, and until this week has commanded a double-digit lead in the polls.
Elected to the New York State Assembly in 2020 to represent the 36th District (Astoria and Long Island City), Mamdani quickly established himself as part of the state’s progressive bloc, advocating for housing affordability, transit equity and criminal-justice reform
As a younger progressive candidate, Mamdani brings a strong voice on these core issues, alongside those relating to social justice, a key component in New York’s cannabis programme.
During a moyoral debate on October 16, he conceded that he has ‘purchased marijuana at a legal cannabis shop’.
He voted in the state assembly for adult-use legalisation in New York, signalling alignment with the regulated market.
While detailed policy documents remain limited, his campaign associations and commentaries suggest an emphasis on consumer access and equity in licensing.
Andrew Cuomo (Independent, former Governor)
Andrew Cuomo, born 6 December 1957 in New York City, is a long-serving public official with deep experience in state and federal government.
He served as US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development under President Bill Clinton from 1997 to 2001, later as New York State Attorney General (2007–2010) and then as Governor (2011–2021) (Britannica).
Cuomo is credited with signing the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) in March 2021, which legalised adult-use cannabis and established the Office of Cannabis Management.
After resigning from the governorship in 2021 amid harassment allegations, Cuomo returned to politics in 2025 as an independent candidate for mayor, following a loss in the Democratic primary
In the mayoral race, he has received endorsement from the New York City Deputy Sheriffs’ Benevolent Association (NYCDSB), a union of enforcement officers responsible for shutting illegal cannabis stores, signalling a law-and-order approach to the illicit market.
Despite this, his record faces scrutiny from industry observers who argue the rollout of the legal market under his governorship left a large illicit retail base.
Curtis Sliwa (Republican)
Curtis Sliwa, born 26 March 1954 in New York City, is best known as the founder of the Guardian Angels, a volunteer public-safety group established in 1979 that remains active in the city
A long-time radio host and political commentator, Sliwa has been a fixture of New York civic life for more than four decades.
Running again as the Republican nominee after his 2021 bid, Sliwa campaigns on a law-and-order platform focused on street safety, homelessness and business recovery.
Though supportive of legal adult-use and medical cannabis in principle, he calls for tougher enforcement against unlicensed operators and stricter regulation of public consumption.
At a 2025 debate he revealed he has used medical cannabis to manage Crohn’s disease and chronic pain from a prior shooting, while arguing that ‘you can’t let people be smoking it out in public’
Join 300+ industry leaders at Business of Cannabis: New York — an exclusive one-day event presented by Prohibition Partners at The Wythe Hotel, Williamsburg, on November 6, 2025.
This VIP gathering will bring together investors, operators and policy-makers to explore strategies for driving investment and accelerating retail growth across the New York cannabis market.
Be part of the conversation shaping the future of legal cannabis in New York.
Industry and regulatory context
New York City’s legal adult-use cannabis market remains nascent; many legal dispensaries are open, but the city is still dealing with large numbers of illicit storefronts.
The Adams administration’s ‘Operation Padlock to Protect’ launched in May 2024 reports having closed nearly 1,400 illegal cannabis businesses and seized over US$95 million in unlicensed product.
However, legal challenges remain: a judge ruled in October 2024 that the summary padlocking of one unlicensed store denied due process.
Industry stakeholders are monitoring how a new mayor might recalibrate enforcement and licencing strategies.
The race therefore turns on two entwined dimensions: access and equity (licencing, consumer normalisation, justice-involvement participation) and enforcement and market integrity (cracking down on unlicensed shops, public-use regulation, legal market fairness).
A mayor who leans heavily on enforcement might support legal operators but could also intensify compliance burdens; one emphasising access may accelerate licencing but risk backlash on quality-of-life grounds.
Implications for the cannabis industry
Licencing pipeline: Mamdani’s pro-access posture may favour faster entry of new legal operators, especially justice-involved ones.
Illicit-market pressure: Cuomo’s enforcement-friendly base via the sheriffs’ union could lead to expanded city-state collaboration on shop closures, which would benefit licensed operators but risk public backlash.
Public-use and regulatory clarity: Sliwa’s tough stance may prompt stricter public-consumption rules and zoning for dispensaries, increasing compliance costs but potentially increasing market legitimacy.
Policy predictability: Whatever the outcome, industry participants should prepare for potential shifts in municipal-state coordination—mayoral office priorities will shape how aggressively the city pursues illegal shops and supports legal entrants.
New York’s turbulent and often dramatic foray into cannabis legalisation is one that focused municipal policy could significantly improve.
With a clear forward-facing strategy on improving the emerging market, which has swept in sales of $1.2bn this year alone, a fresh approach could influence zoning decisions, city enforcement priorities and community outreach programmes that bolster sorely-needed consumer confidence.
Conversely, without clear direction the illicit market may continue to overshadow the licensed sector and continue to limit its growth potential.
For industry stakeholders and investors, the November election is a battle of policy position: access and equity, or enforcement and public-safety.
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