Culture
Hochul ends New York's labor peace rule for weed shops and shelves the wage board, for now
The governor signed the labor bill but struck a side deal to drop its wage board and disclosure rules, which still needs lawmakers to follow through.
By The Crushed Desk · 1w ago · 3 min read
Photo: The Marijuana Herald
Gov. Kathy Hochul signed Senate Bill 10643 on October 28, enacted as Chapter 369 of the Laws of 2026. The law removes the requirement that licensed marijuana businesses sign labor peace agreements with unions. The bill passed the Senate 37-23 and the Assembly 98-34 in June.
The version she signed also created a Cannabis Industry Wage Board and added financial disclosure requirements. Hochul said those pieces could raise costs and uncertainty and push shoppers toward unlicensed sellers, and she agreed with legislative leaders to remove them. That fix needs new legislation. The wage board and disclosure rules are scheduled to take effect January 31, 2027 unless lawmakers pass the promised amendments first.
The labor peace requirement has been the subject of federal lawsuits, so dropping it also takes some legal pressure off the state.
For workers and operators the situation is unsettled. If you are hiring or negotiating in New York, the labor peace obligation is gone today, but the wage board is still on the books until Albany acts. Keep an eye on the January 31 date, since a missed amendment would put new wage and reporting rules into effect.
