I just had a cordial exchange with a centrist lawmaker who told me that “just like marriage equality, we can get this right, it just takes some time.”

This person was referring to the ongoing debate to legalize cannabis in NJ. Legislation to do just that was pulled from consideration today because the votes weren’t there.

In the meantime, this lawmaker wants to “create the most expansive and innovative medical marijuana industry in the country.”

Of course, there’s a legislation right now (A10/S10) to drastically improve NJ’s medical marijuana  program. But it’s been curiously packaged with the recreational bill that stalled at today’s hurdle.

Sick people in NJ who use cannabis have waited a long time for some relief. It’s a shame the medical bill got yanked on the back of the much more complicated recreational debate.

“Immediately put the social justice portion in place through the expungement,” Lawmaker X told InsiderNJ. “And require law enforcement agencies to have on year to train their (drug recognition experts.)”

And then?

“And in 12 months from now – rec marijuana will become so easy to pass in a presidential year.”

Jay Lassiter is a long time drug reform advocate from Cherry Hill NJ. He smokes cannabis every day. Mostly as a criminal.