"It was overwhelming:" New Yorkers convicted of marijuana misdemeanors lost jobs, licenses and homes. Now, their records will be "automatically expunged."

Victor Herrera had worked as a tow truck driver for more than 10 years. The pay was good, he said, and he got to answer calls when cars broke down, helping customers in the moments they were most in distress.

"I loved it. I loved it, because, you know, you're changing a frown into a smile," he said, adding that the job was in his nature: "The person in me that likes to help people in need." But he lost his job in 2010 after an encounter with police. He was sitting in his car with his brother — not driving, just talking, he said — when police approached, saying they smelled marijuana. They searched the vehicle and found two marijuana joints, Herrera said, and he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor for marijuana possession.