NJ governor joins multi-state summit on vaping, marijuana regulations

New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy joined governors from New York, Connecticut and Pennsylvania for the Regional Cannabis Regulation and Vaping Summit in New York City Thursday.

The governors are working together to get a handle on the health risks of unregulated vaping and marijuana.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the lack of federal action on pot and vaping regulations means it's up to states to act.

To this point, one person from North Jersey has died from a vaping-related illness.

There are 20 cases of vaping-related illnesses in the Garden State. Also e-cigarette use among young people is on the rise.

"We really are talking about two enormous health challenges and as we see it through the New Jersey lens, we have an exploding vaping reality among the youth, which has become an enormous challenge in health and beyond and that's something I think we all share," says Murphy.

As for marijuana, Murphy says there is a shocking racial gap in people incarcerated for low-end marijuana offenses. Some of the governors have unsuccessfully pushed for their states to allow recreational pot sales in the last year.

Officials from the four states are keeping the lines of communication open with each other as they consider the next steps.