What Is the Quick Answer?
Compliance at Terp Bros NYC is governed by New York's CAURD framework and license OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park). That means every batch is lab-tested under NY OCM standards, all sales happen to adults 21+ with valid government-issued ID, packaging is child-resistant and tamper-evident, and every transaction is logged through the state-mandated BioTrack seed-to-sale system. Both the Astoria and Ozone Park shops operate under the same single license.
CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary) was New York's first adult-use retail license category, prioritizing justice-impacted New Yorkers. Terp Bros was awarded under that program. Compliance is not a marketing line for us; it is the reason we are open.
What Is the Longer Story?
New York's adult-use cannabis market began issuing retail sales under the MRTA (Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act) in 2022, with the OCM (Office of Cannabis Management) building the retail licensing framework. CAURD launched as the first license track, specifically designed to give justice-impacted and small-business applicants a head start before larger general-licensed operators entered. License OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park) sits in that first-wave cohort.
Both the Astoria flagship at 36-10 Ditmars Blvd and the Ozone Park shop at 135-26 Cross Bay Blvd operate under that single license. The state audits CAURD holders on ID verification, lab-test documentation, packaging compliance, advertising rules, staff training, hours of operation, inventory tracking, and tax collection. Every one of those checkpoints is built into how Terp Bros runs daily.
Founders Al Cottone and Jeremy Rivera built the shops around that compliance discipline from day one because the alternative, operating outside the licensed market, would defeat the entire reason to go through the CAURD process. The license is the asset. Everything else is a consequence of protecting it.
What Is Our Detailed Answer?
Detailed CAURD compliance at Terp Bros covers ten main checkpoints: license display at both stores, 21+ ID verification at every transaction, BioTrack logging of every product from intake to sale, lab-test COAs on file for every batch, child-resistant tamper-evident packaging on every exit product, trained budtenders with current OCM-required certifications, hours posted publicly, advertising that follows NY cannabis marketing rules, accurate tax collection, and delivery manifests for every off-site drop.
Each checkpoint has its own audit trail. The state can request any of them at any time. When OCM inspectors arrive unannounced, we open everything: the license on the wall, the BioTrack database, the safe, the camera system, the staff training records. We have nothing to hide because we built the operation to pass. Every product has a batch ID traceable to a lab COA. Every sale has a receipt with the license number printed.
That posture is also why we decline certain products other shops might stock. If a brand cannot produce the COA, we do not stock it. If a packaging design toes too close to kid-appeal rules, we do not stock it. The bar is boring but it is non-negotiable.
What You Can Expect
Customers can expect visible compliance at every touchpoint of a Terp Bros visit: the license number OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park) on the window, ID checks at the door, certified budtenders at the counter, lab-test data available on request for any product, tamper-evident packaging on every exit item, and receipts with the license number printed. The menu also prints compliance disclosures alongside every product listing.
A clean, welcoming retail space. Budtenders who ask what you actually want from the product. Prices posted openly on our menu. Receipts with license numbers. Delivery when you can't make it in.
What Are the Store Details?
Terp Bros NYC runs two CAURD-licensed locations in Queens. Astoria at 36-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105, phone (929) 614-3591. Ozone Park at 135-26 Cross Bay Blvd, Ozone Park, NY 11417, phone (718) 308-3600. Both stores operate Monday through Sunday, 10am to 10pm. Both require 21+ with valid government-issued ID. License OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park) governs both.
Astoria: 36-10 Ditmars Blvd, Astoria, NY 11105, (929) 614-3591, Monday-Sunday, 10am to 10pm (age 21+, valid ID required) Ozone Park: 135-26 Cross Bay Blvd, Ozone Park, NY 11417, (718) 308-3600, Monday-Sunday, 10am to 10pm (age 21+, valid ID required) License: NY OCM License OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park)
What Are Related Questions?
Queens shoppers frequently ask how they can tell a dispensary is legal, whether COAs are available on request, what happens during an OCM audit, and how the CAURD program differs from other state license types. The short answers: look for the license number posted, yes COAs are on file for every batch, audits are passed without drama because compliance is baked in, and CAURD is the first-wave license specifically prioritizing justice-impacted operators.
Are you open on holidays? Yes, with adjusted hours. Check the homepage for current schedule.
Do you take cash only? We accept cash and debit. ATMs on site.
Can I call ahead? Yes, call either location for stock checks or product questions.
Do you deliver? Yes, Queens-wide from both shops.
Is Terp Bros a licensed dispensary? Yes. License OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park) covers both the Astoria and Ozone Park locations.
How can I verify a cannabis dispensary is legal in NY? Check the OCM public license list at cannabis.ny.gov. Any storefront not on that list is not licensed, regardless of what their signage says.
Do you have lab test data for products? Yes. Every batch has a COA on file. Ask the budtender if you want to see it.
What is CAURD? Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary, New York's first retail license track, prioritizing justice-impacted applicants.
What First-Time Queens Shoppers Should Know About CAURD Compliance
First-time Queens shoppers should know three things about CAURD compliance: it is the legal license category under which Terp Bros operates, it requires lab testing and BioTrack tracking on every product sold, and it is enforced by unannounced OCM audits. The license number OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park) is the single fact that separates a Terp Bros purchase from anything bought at an unlicensed storefront in the neighborhood.
The practical implication for shoppers: every product on our shelf has a paper trail. If you are buying pre-rolls, flower, edibles, vapes, or concentrates, each item has a batch ID that traces to a specific lab test result showing THC, CBD, residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, and microbial counts. The same cannot be said for anything bought outside the licensed market.
Beyond the product, the compliance framework protects the consumer in ways unlicensed operators cannot. Tax is collected correctly (13% excise plus NYC sales tax). Receipts are itemized. Returns and concerns can be escalated through the OCM complaint process. If anything goes wrong, there is a legal venue for redress.
How CAURD Compliance Compares Across Queens Neighborhoods
CAURD compliance itself is uniform because the license standards are state-level, but the licensed-vs-unlicensed retail landscape varies sharply across Queens. Astoria, LIC, and Sunnyside have a growing cluster of licensed shops. Ozone Park, Howard Beach, and Richmond Hill still see significant unlicensed competition. Jackson Heights, Corona, and Elmhurst have a mix. The OCM is actively closing unlicensed storefronts, but the patchwork is real.
For shoppers comparing dispensaries, the check is the same everywhere: the license number must be posted, the ID check must happen at the door, and the product must ship in tamper-evident packaging with batch information printed. If any of those three are missing, the shop is not operating under CAURD or any OCM license, and the product is not verifiable.
The Astoria shopper walking down Ditmars sees a maturing licensed market within a few blocks. The Ozone Park shopper on Cross Bay Blvd still sees some competing unlicensed storefronts, though enforcement is catching up. Our role at both locations is to be the obvious licensed option, and to explain the compliance gap clearly when customers ask.
What Budtenders Hear Most About CAURD Compliance
Budtenders hear the same compliance questions weekly: "is this legal," "why is the price higher than the other shop up the street," "can I see the lab test," "is this tested," and "what is the difference between you and an unlicensed spot." The answers connect: yes it is legal under license OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park), the price reflects the legal supply chain plus state taxes, yes we will show the COA, and the difference is everything from testing to tracking to tax.
"Why is the price higher" comes up often, especially from customers comparing us to unlicensed shops in the area. The honest answer: our flower is tested by a NY-certified lab, our packaging is compliant, our staff is trained and paid on the books, our tax is collected and remitted to the state, and our license fees are real. The unlicensed shop is cheaper because they are not paying any of that.
"Can I see the lab test" is the best question we get. Yes, we can pull the COA for any product in the store. The document shows the specific batch, the test date, the lab name, the THC and CBD levels, and the screens for pesticides, residual solvents, heavy metals, mycotoxins, and microbial contamination. Some customers read every number. Most just want to know the document exists, and that is the whole point of the transparency.
What Do NY OCM License Tiers Actually Cover?
NY OCM issues multiple license classes across the legal cannabis supply chain. CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary) was the first retail license class, created to prioritize justice-involved entrepreneurs and qualifying nonprofits in the early NY rollout. AUCC (Adult-Use Conditional Cultivator) covered early outdoor cultivators. AUCP (Adult-Use Conditional Processor) covered early processors. Full adult-use retail, cultivator, processor, microbusiness, and on-site consumption licenses now round out the market. Terp Bros holds CAURD license OCM-CAURD-23-000020 (Astoria) / OCM-CAURD-25-000294 (Ozone Park).
Each license class carries specific compliance obligations. CAURD retailers must meet the same Part 113 lab testing, BioTrack seed-to-sale logging, packaging, labeling, advertising, and staff-training rules as any other adult-use retail class. CAURD also carries operational requirements tied to the justice-involved and nonprofit mandate that created the class. The tier structure matters for Queens shoppers because verification on the NY OCM portal at cannabis.ny.gov confirms both the license number and the license class in a single lookup.
What Does Part 113 Lab Testing Actually Screen For?
NY OCM Part 113 rules require every batch of legal cannabis product to pass independent laboratory testing before reaching a retail shelf. The mandatory panels cover cannabinoids (delta-9 THC, THCA, CBD, CBDA, CBN, CBG, and minor cannabinoids), terpenes, residual solvents (for solvent-extracted products), heavy metals (lead, arsenic, cadmium, mercury), pesticides (a list of over 50 compounds), microbial contamination (total aerobic count, yeast, mold, bile-tolerant gram-negative bacteria, E. coli, Salmonella), mycotoxins (aflatoxins and ochratoxin A), and moisture content on flower.
Each test result generates a Certificate of Analysis, a document that follows the batch from cultivator to processor to retailer. Terp Bros can pull the COA for any product on request at the counter. Shoppers who want to verify a specific batch before purchase can ask a budtender at Astoria (929) 614-3591 or Ozone Park (718) 308-3600. Every package on the shelf carries a QR code or batch reference that ties back to the COA, and every sale is logged through BioTrack so the chain of custody is traceable from the farm to the shopper's hand.