Dick Codey may have been in a box, the source acknowledged.

Sure, he’s a Governor Phil Murphy ally, at the very least even in the worst of circumstances on the strength of his detestation of South Jersey.

But he also had to examine the reality of his longtime loyal ally, Senator Ronald L. Rice (D-28), entrenched as the most visible opponent of pot legalization, Murphy’s legislative baby, which down went in defeat in the senate on Monday when the senate couldn’t summon the required 21 votes.

Codey, like Rice (and like their dreaded rivals in Senate President Steve Sweeney’s South Jersey) was among the no votes.

“Process doesn’t matter except when it’s made to matter,” said the source, a veteran of the process.

“It is a good strategy to take it off the table. I’m told Tom Kean was a master at that. But let’s be honest and admit that major legislation has passed with little or no process.

“I’m not sure that Sweeney dropped the ball,” the source added. “His advocates will say so for obvious self-interest. It’s a convenient Trenton back story. I think it’s more about Codey staying off that kept Sweeney from delivering.

“Codey could have made it happen,” he noted. “I’m not singling out Dick, but how could you expect Sweeney to throw some votes on the board if Codey’s not there?

They’ll tinker with it and use some screws to get it done.

But Rice was boxed in by Rice.

“True, but no matter the reason, Sweeney was not giving Codey a pass on Monday,” the source insisted.