Washington (CNN) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed a bill Monday further decriminalizing marijuana use in the state.

The legislation reduces the penalty for illegal possession of marijuana to a violation punishable by a fine, and allows those with certain marijuana convictions to have their records expunged, according to a news release from the governor's office. The bill, which will take effect 30 days after becoming law, comes as Democrats are pushing harder to decriminalize marijuana across the nation.

"Communities of color have been disproportionately impacted by laws governing marijuana for far too long, and today we are ending this injustice once and for all," Cuomo, a Democrat, said.

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"By providing individuals who have suffered the consequences of an unfair marijuana conviction with a path to have their records expunged and by reducing draconian penalties," Cuomo continued, "we are taking a critical step forward in addressing a broken and discriminatory criminal justice process."

Democrats say the measure will correct decades of enforcement that targeted people of color, and Cuomo's office says the legislation aims to make marijuana enforcement "fairer and more equitable."