Advocates for criminal justice reform hope it will also help redress the inequities of a system that has locked up people of color for marijuana offenses at disproportionate rates.
Legalization in Illinois also means that nearly 800,000 people with criminal records for purchasing or possessing 30 grams of marijuana or less may have those records expunged.
Cuomo and top lawmakers insist there's still time to legalize marijuana, or to strengthen rent regulations before New York City's rent stabilization rules expire this summer.
To anyone who figured the path of legalizing recreational marijuana use ran along blue state-red state lines, a sudden setback for pot advocates in New Jersey may show the issue isn't so black-and-white.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Monday he's "no longer confident" an agreement to legalize recreational marijuana in New York will be included in the state budget that's due by April 1, raising the possibility that approval of retail sales of pot won't get passed by the Legislature this year.