Cannabis is now legal in New York State. As of March 31st, it became the 15th state to legalize recreational marijuana in America. But New York’s path to legalization differs from other states in how it prioritizes social equity as one of its main goals. Under the new law, forty percent of the revenue from cannabis will be steered towards minority communities that have been negatively impacted by the war on drugs. And with an estimated tax revenue of $350 million a year, that could make a big difference to those communities. Tonight, Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who was one of the two main sponsors behind the new legislation and fought for seven years for the bill’s passage, joins us to discuss the social justice that legal pot can bring to New York.

Our partners at Metrofocus report on this story.