on Monday, July 29, Governor Cuomo signed legislation that will further decriminalize marijuana use in New York State.
Under the new law, possession of less than two ounces of marijuana will no longer have criminal penalties. Instead, those found in possession of under one ounce of marijuana will receive a fine of $50 and those possessing one to two ounces will receive a fine of $200.
In a statement made by Cuomo, he says: “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. 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 new legislation will also allow individuals who have been convicted for possessing small amounts of marijuana to begin the process of having their records expunged. This new law will officially go into effect in 30 days (Wednesday, August 28).
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