EDITOR’S NOTE: The billion-dollar medical marijuana, hemp and legal weed industries offer an economic opportunity unrivaled in modern N.J. history. NJ Cannabis Insider features exclusive, premium content for those interested in getting in on the ground floor or expanding their operation. View a sample issue.

Gov. Phil Murphy met with fellow Democratic governors in neighboring states with hopes to create common regulations on weed and vaping during a summit Thursday morning in Manhattan.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont announced late last month they planned to join together on issues of vaping and marijuana legalization, and said at the time they wanted to involve New Jersey, too.

The plan is to establish similar laws in states where many people cross borders daily, allowing them to legally purchase pot or vaping products in one state and easily bring them into another.

On Thursday morning, the three met in Manhattan with fellow Democratic Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf and legislative leaders from New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, New Jersey and Colorado to discuss policy options and opportunities for regional coordination.

Murphy told those gathered Thursday that New Jersey views legalizing weed through a social justice lens.

He said collaborating would allow officials to work "in an intelligent, coordinated, harmonious way. We really are talking about two enormous health challenges.”

As in New Jersey, the recent attempts to legalize marijuana in New York and Connecticut have faltered. The summit came just days after two Pennsylvania state senators introduced a bill to legalize marijuana that advocates hailed as a “gold standard” of legalization. It includes provisions to grow marijuana at home, have it delivered and consume it in Bring Your Own Weed lounges, as well as interest-free loans for low-income people who want to get involved.

New Jersey lawmakers are expected to vote on marijuana during the legislature’s lame duck session between November and January. Whether that vote will be on a proposed law legalizing weed or to place a referendum on the November 2020 ballot asking voters to decide marijuana’s fate remains unclear.

As for vaping, a task force commissioned by Murphy recommended a ban on all flavored vaping products earlier this month. But Murphy has said he doesn’t have the authority to ban flavored products by executive order. Pending legislation seeks to prohibit the sale of flavored vapes in New Jersey, according to the task force report.

So far, some 1,300 people have fallen ill and 26 died as a result of the mysterious vaping issue sweeping the country.

The governors hope to collaborate on issues where they believe the federal government has fallen short.

“The federal government in situations like this would normally be helpful,” Cuomo said Thursday. “In theory, the federal government is supposed to get involved in issues that go beyond one state’s borders. It’s not happening on this issue.”

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amandahoovernj. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

Get the latest updates right in your inbox. Subscribe to NJ.com’s newsletters.