New York Decriminalizes Low Level Marijuana Possession, and Provides for the Sealing and Expungement of Certain Prior Marijuana Convictions; Expungement is Not Automatic However.
A new law in New York, effective August 28, 2019, decriminalized possession of certain quantities of Marijuana, and effected more than 202,000 prior Marijuana convictions in the state from the late 1970s through mid-June of 2019. The new law reduced the penalty for the possession of less than 1 ounce of Marijuana leaf or flower to a $50 fine, regardless…