<p>New York lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday to legalize adult use of marijuana, which will make it the 15th state in the United States to allow recreational use of the drug.</p>.<p>Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was looking forward to signing the bill into law.</p>.<p>"New York has a storied history of being the progressive capital of the nation, and this important legislation will once again carry on that legacy," he said in a statement.</p>.<p>New York’s state Senate passed the bill with 40-23 votes, while the Assembly voted 100-49.</p>.<p>The decision was also welcomed by NORML, a pro-marijuana group, which said that tens of thousands of New Yorkers were arrested every year over petty marijuana offenses, and that most were young, poor, and people of color.</p>.<p>"The legalization of marijuana is a racial and criminal justice imperative, and today's vote is a critical step towards a fairer and more just system," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.</p>.<p>The New York State’s official website recently projected that tax collections from the adult-use cannabis program would reach $350 million annually and also create 30,000 to 60,000 new jobs across the State.</p>
<p>New York lawmakers passed a bill on Tuesday to legalize adult use of marijuana, which will make it the 15th state in the United States to allow recreational use of the drug.</p>.<p>Governor Andrew Cuomo said he was looking forward to signing the bill into law.</p>.<p>"New York has a storied history of being the progressive capital of the nation, and this important legislation will once again carry on that legacy," he said in a statement.</p>.<p>New York’s state Senate passed the bill with 40-23 votes, while the Assembly voted 100-49.</p>.<p>The decision was also welcomed by NORML, a pro-marijuana group, which said that tens of thousands of New Yorkers were arrested every year over petty marijuana offenses, and that most were young, poor, and people of color.</p>.<p>"The legalization of marijuana is a racial and criminal justice imperative, and today's vote is a critical step towards a fairer and more just system," New York Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement.</p>.<p>The New York State’s official website recently projected that tax collections from the adult-use cannabis program would reach $350 million annually and also create 30,000 to 60,000 new jobs across the State.</p>