Changing the holdouts' minds by altering the language of the legislation seems unlikely. So, too, does trying to pass any of the three components of the bill separately. That could jeopardize the votes of those whose support for medical marijuana or expungement seemed a justifiable tradeof for pushing the whole package over the finish line.
Additionally, those who have been supporters of the three pillars of the bill may be harboring reservations as more information about the wisdom of one or more of those pillars has emerged over time.
We have written extensively about our concerns with each of them: legalization of recreational marijuana, the broad expansion of the qualifying health conditions for medical marijuana and liberal eligibility provisions for expungement.
We believe New Jersey would be best served if the Legislature held off on the package of bills again next month and committed itself to taking another hard look at the many concerns we and others have expressed about it. There are too many questions that have not been satisfactorily answered.