New York legalises recreational marijuana for those above 21 years

New York adults over the age of 21 years can now possess and use marijuana — even in public — under a legalisation bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won't start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set.

New York adults over the age of 21 years can now possess and use marijuana — even in public — under a legalisation bill signed Wednesday by Gov. Andrew Cuomo, though legal sales of recreational-use cannabis won't start for an estimated 18 months until regulations are set. Passed after several years of stalled efforts, the measure makes New York the 16th state to legalise adult use of the drug, though South Dakota's measure is in legal limbo. New York becomes the second-most populous state, after California, to legalise recreational marijuana. Legalisation backers hope the Empire State will add momentum and set an example with its efforts to redress the inequities of a system that has locked up people of color for marijuana offenses at disproportionate rates.