Governor Cuomo signed legislation Monday that decriminalizes marijuana in New York State. The new law further decriminalizes the drug which will now be punishable by a fine and provides a process by which certain marijuana offenses can be removed from a person's record.

The Governor's office states the legislation will make marijuana enforcement more fair by removing criminal penalties for possession of any amount of marijuana under two ounces. According to New York State Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins,

Decriminalizing marijuana is an essential part of reforming our state's broken justice system. For too long, communities of color have been disproportionately targeted and negatively impacted. The Senate will continue our efforts for full legalization and regulation of marijuana, and today's decriminalization is a good first step.

The bill is set to become law in 30 days. It was first proposed as part of Governor Cuomo's 2013 budget and again for 2020 fiscal budget year.

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