New York's governor signed a bill Monday that softens penalties for possessing small amounts of marijuana and allows for the expungement of some past offenses.
The law changes an unlawful possession of marijuana statute into a violation that's similar to a traffic ticket, instead of a criminal charge.
Under the new law, the maximum penalty is $50 for possessing less than one ounce of pot and a maximum of $200 for between one and two ounces.
The law also requires that records tied to low-level marijuana cases be automatically sealed and creates a process for expungement. It will take effect in 30 days.
"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," Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
Advocates for legal marijuana acknowledge the law is a step forward but also say it falls short of addressing a web of negative consequences that come with keeping marijuana illegal.