Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont and New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo hold a joint press conference Sept. 25, 2019, at the Connecticut governor's residence in Hartford. Photo: Michael Marciano/ALM

The governors of New York and Connecticut announced Wednesday they're teaming up to address the decriminalization of cannabis and develop a common approach to vaping products amid reports of illnesses and deaths across the country.

Govs. Andrew Cuomo and Ned Lamont met for about 45 minutes Wednesday morning before addressing reporters in the backyard of the Connecticut governor's mansion on Prospect Avenue in Hartford. The leaders said marijuana and vaping laws are the first order of business before they tackle issues including transportation, cybersecurity, storm preparation and the environment.

Speaking to a group of reporters and news cameras, Lamont credited Cuomo with taking a proactive approach to marijuana regulation, which he said "is something we really want to do together, and we want to do it on a timely basis. We don't want to give up marijuana to the black market. We've seen how dangerous that can be."

Lamont noted that one of his first orders of business after taking office in January was raising the legal age requirement for purchasing tobacco products from 18 to 21, and that coming to an agreement on cannabis rules and regulations is a priority for both his and Cuomo's administrations.

With recreational marijuana sales already legal in Massachusetts, Lamont acknowledged Connecticut would be coming in late to the game with decriminalization, but said he wants to work out potential problems before legislation is enacted in Connecticut. "We're going to do it right," Lamont said. "I'm really glad to see the close relationship New York and Connecticut have, and I think we're a lot stronger for it."

Cuomo said New York and Connecticut naturally have shared concerns and issues the states should address together, adding that states have not received much direction from the federal government. "We don't have, frankly in my opinion, a federal government that is providing leadership on these issues," he said. "What we're getting out of Washington is a lot of confusion and a lot of debate. Basically they're telling the states 'You're on your own.'"

Cuomo added that this is "liberating on one level. If we're on our own, let's hook our boats together and see if we can find a way through this storm." Cuomo said he hopes to have proposed cannabis legislation ready for the New York legislature by this coming January, but more pressing is the issue of vaping-related illness and death, which has gained national attention in recent weeks.

"The vaping issue is frightening," Cuomo said. "You have hundreds of people all across this country who have gotten ill, including about a hundred in New York. You have young people who are dying. And you have young people who are getting addicted to nicotine and they don't even know what they're doing. At best they are getting addicted to nicotine, and at worst they are putting a substance into their body that can kill them."

In response to reports of vaping-related illnesses and deaths across the country, Cuomo issued an emergency executive action Sept. 15 banning sales of flavored electronic cigarettes in New York. He said he and Lamont have scheduled another meeting Oct. 17 with representatives of nearby states to discuss options for decriminalizing cannabis and related issues. The governors hinted that legislation may be crafted with an eye toward uniformity, which would deter "border shopping" for looser restrictions.

"When Colorado [legalized marijuana] they had to change that law a number of times, and I think Massachusetts would like to do this too," Lamont said. We'll get [Massachusetts Gov.] Charlie Baker as part of this conversation."

Among the aspects of possible legislation the governors said they discussed were age restrictions, percentage of THC content in approved cannabis products, taxation rates and training for police.

"In concept, many people believe in the legalization of recreational marijuana, but the devil is going to be in the details," Cuomo said. "How you do it will determine the success of the program. Doing that collectively and regionally makes sense."

Asked if he plans to issue any executive orders, Lamont said he wants to spend more time studying the issues. "I don't know what I can do by executive order but I'm going to be very strong going forward and at least get something before the legislature as soon as I can," he said. "But when you ban all vaping products, that leads more people to the black market and the illegal stuff that's even more dangerous. I want to do a little more research on this. It's still early."

That said, Lamont said he plans to stay on top of the issue. "I'm going to work with Gov. Cuomo further in terms of what we do with flavored vaping products," he said. "I think it's something we're going to be doing together."