New York moves closer to legalising marijuana as state Senate passes bill

“The legalization of marijuana is a racial and criminal justice imperative, and today’s vote is a critical step towards a fairer and more just system,” New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement after the Senate’s 40-23 vote to pass the bill.

Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was looking forward to signing the legislation into law.

“New York has a storied history of being the progressive capital of the nation, and this important legislation will once again carry on that legacy,” he said in a statement.

The decision was also welcomed by NORML, a pro-marijuana group, which said that tens of thousands of New Yorkers were arrested every year over petty marijuana offenses, and that most were young, poor, and people of color.