Wolf, Fetterman travel to NYC for cannabis summit

Gov. Tom Wolf and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman traveled to New York City on Thursday to talk pot with leaders from other states.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo hosted the Governors’ Regional Cannabis and Vaping Summit. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont also participated, as did representatives from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Colorado.

“The goal is to collaborate with one another, to share resources and thinking collectively as we’re all trying to figure this out,” Cuomo said in his opening remarks, which were shared on Cuomo’s YouTube channel.

Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Rhode Island all allow medical marijuana, but not recreational use, which is legal in Colorado and Massachusetts.

Wolf last month announced his support for legalizing recreational marijuana in Pennsylvania. The state legislature is considering several legalization bills, though Republicans, which have a majority in both houses, are opposed to the measures.

In his opening remarks at the summit, Wolf highlighted Fetterman’s recent marijuana listening tour.

“What he found in his tour throughout the state, all 67 counties, was that we need to bring this into the open,” Wolf said. “We need regulation, we need to make sure we’re protecting public health, public safety, but that’s regulation not prohibition. It’s also important that we work together as a region to make sure we’re on the same page.”

The governors also discussed vaping, the popular alternative to smoking that has recently come under intense scrutiny.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say there’s been 1,080 cases of illness linked to vaping, including 18 deaths. The specific causes of these illnesses have not been determined, though most are linked to vaping of products made with THC, the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana.