Govs. Ned Lamont and Andrew M. Cuomo have launched a strategic partnership between Connecticut and New York designed to create a uniform cross-border approach to policies related to e-cigarettes and the legalization of recreational marijuana.
After a meeting held yesterday in Hartford, the governors announced a summit on Oct. 17 with policymakers joining public health and law enforcement officials from both states discussing these subjects. New York is the first state to ban flavored e-cigarette sales, but Connecticut does not have a similar prohibition. And while neither state has approved the sale of recreational marijuana, the summit will address issues including taxation, product safety and testing, marketing and banking and financial services in relation to a future legalization framework.
“We not only share borders, but we share economic interests, public health priorities, and a joint understanding that the more states work together on these kinds of issues, the better the policy results will be for our residents,” Lamont said. “Every day, thousands of New Yorkers travel over the border to work in Connecticut, and thousands of Connecticut commuters rely on New York for their livelihood. To that end, it”™s common sense for our states to be aligned in numerous policy areas.”
“Policies governing vaping products and recreational marijuana will require regional symmetry because it makes little sense for one state to do something if a neighboring state has a totally different policy,” Cuomo said. “Without coordination, you end up incentivizing people to drive over the border to buy a different or cheaper product.”
