ALBANY – New York State Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris on March 30 issued the following statement about the Senate and Assembly passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act (S.854-A):

“Our action today begins to correct years of injustice in the name of the war on drugs. This new law will also expunge criminal convictions for actions that will no longer be illegal and fairly address questions of equity, economic opportunity, and justice long-denied. I am proud our State Senate majority was able to achieve what was elusive for so long and am thankful to my colleagues for their relentless drive to get this done.”