Marijuana Legalization: New York, Connecticut Look To Pair Future Laws On Pot, Vaping
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (CBSNewYork) - The governors of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut are each pushing for the legalization of recreational marijuana.
Today, it brought Gov. Andrew Cuomo to West Hartford, to meet with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont at his residence.
It was a warm Connecticut welcome for Cuomo by Lamont, as the leaders agreed to work on a couple of hot topics.
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The two Democrats met for about 45 minutes at the mansion in Hartford, perhaps comparing notes over a stinging defeat each suffered in their respective state legislatures, CBS2's Tony Aiello reported.
Recreational marijuana bills failed in both Hartford and Albany, so 2020 offers a do-over. The governors think it should be a "do it together."
"It makes all the sense in the world for us to work together. It would be absurd not to, frankly," said Cuomo.
Cuomo wants New York, Connecticut and New Jersey to coordinate elements of future legalization to prevent shopping across borders for more powerful pot, or lower prices.
Cuomo wants the states to be in sync on numerous fronts.
"What age are you thinking about? What is the THC content that you are allowing? What is the tax rate that you're going to charge?" Cuomo said.
In the border community of Danbury, the Republican mayor thinks the Democratic governors are on to something.
"If we're going to do this, and my mind is still - mixed emotions about legalizing marijuana, but if we're going to do this, let's do this right. Make sure everybody's doing it in the same manner, so people can't poach customers from other states, and everybody realizes the same amount of tax revenue," said Mayor Mark Boughton.
The leaders say top officials will meet in October to move the pot planning forward. Cuomo wants it ready for him to unveil at the State of the State speech in January.
