It was a victorious day on Monday when New York’s Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that decriminalizes the use of marijuana. The bill also expunges the records of some who were convicted on marijuana-related charges.
“Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana for far too long, and today we are ending this injustice once and for all,” said Cuomo.
“By providing individuals who have suffered the consequences of an unfair marijuana conviction with a path to have their records expunged and by reducing draconian penalties, we are taking a critical step forward in addressing a broken and discriminatory criminal justice process.”
The bill, which had been approved by the state legislature earlier in the year, also reduces unlawful marijuana possession to a misdemeanor punishable by a fine. Even better is that possession under two ounces will not have criminal penalties.
The bill now needs 30 days to take effect after it becomes law.
