New York has officially become the 15th state in the U.S. to legalize recreational marijuana.
The new law will include social equity programs and will allocate revenue to the communities most affected by the ineffective war on drugs, according to Senator Mike Gianaris.
The legislation, signed by Gov. Cuomo, will also expunge the records of people previously convicted of possession.
Black people are 2.6x more likely to be arrested for possession in NY, despite similar use as white people.
In 2020, 94% of arrests in NYC were people of color.
