BUFFALO, N.Y. — Teaming up in Buffalo, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand and Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes spoke about what they said is a critical criminal justice issue.

"I want to say this very clearly: It is time for the United States to legalize marijuana," Gillibrand said.

She called the arrest rates for low-level marijuana possession crimes "systemic and institutional racism."

"Black Americans and white Americans use marijuana at just about the same rate but black Americans are almost four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white peers," she said.

The Democrat is co-sponsoring legislation which would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, expunge past convictions related to use and possession, and create a fund to invest in communities disenfranchised by mass incarcerations.

"We saw with marriage equality, we need states to continue to debate these issues and vote on them while we're doing the same thing on the federal level," Gillibrand said.

A soon-to-be-released New York state study is expected to recommend legalization and the Assembly is ready to start working out the details of how that would work.

"In conversation with the speaker before we left the other day, it has been decided that since there is already a bill, my bill again 3506, we will be doing five public hearings throughout the state," Peoples-Stokes said.

She said not only will less incarceration save the state money, there is a huge opportunity to create revenue. The assemblywoman pointed to Colorado which has brought in, on average, more than $100 million each year in taxes alone. 

"You've got to figure New York state's population is a lot larger than Colorado's so if they're making that much, how much can we make?" she asked.

Peoples-Stokes also pointed out other states have legalized marijuana and Canada plans to in the next several months. On that front she said she's reached out to the Canadian Consulate and elected officials in Ontario.

"What we don't want is New Yorkers going over thinking you can enjoy the product and just come back home, it doesn't work like that. There has to be some parameters in place," she said.

Gillibrand, meanwhile, said she's invited the U.S. Attorney General to listen to New Yorkers' stories.