(CNN) New York Mayor Bill de Blasio expressed his support Thursday for a marijuana legalization plan that emphasizes small businesses and the expunging of former possession convictions.

"Legalization, done the right way, will marry opportunity with justice," de Blasio said at a press conference announcing a report published Thursday by his Task Force on Cannabis Legalization.

"We have a chance to create a brand-new industry that will lift up everyday New Yorkers," he said, "And we have a chance to choke off corporate America in the process and not let them get their greedy hands on this industry here in this state."

The report, "A Fair Approach to Marijuana," is the product of five months of work by the task force, which was convened to navigate the city's approach to New York state's expected legalization of marijuana

Comparing corporate cannabis concerns to "Big Tobacco," "Big Oil" and "Big Pharma," de Blasio said lawmakers should legalize marijuana in such a way as to emphasize small businesses and benefit those affected by decades of criminalization.

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