New York adults over the age of 21 can now possess and use marijuana \u2014 even in public \u2014 under a legalization bill\u00a0 signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won’t start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set.<\/b>
\nNew York adults over the age of 21 can now possess and use marijuana \u2014 even in public \u2014 under a legalization bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won\u2019t start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set. Passed after several years of stalled efforts, the measure makes New York the 16th state to legalize adult use of the drug, though South Dakota\u2019s measure is in legal limbo. New York becomes the second-most populous state, after California, to legalize recreational marijuana. Legalization backers hope the Empire State will add momentum and set an example with its efforts to redress the inequities of a system that has locked up people of color for marijuana offenses at disproportionate rates. \u201cBy placing community reinvestment, social equity, and justice front and center, this law is the new gold standard for reform efforts nationwide,\u201d said Melissa Moore, New York state director of the Drug Policy Alliance. New York will start automatically expunging some past marijuana-related convictions, and people won\u2019t be arrested or prosecuted for possession of pot up to 3 ounces. In a unique provision, New Yorkers 21 and over can now smoke cannabis in public, including on sidewalks. No other state allows that, said Paul Armentano, deputy director of pro-legalization group NORML.<\/p>\n