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WASHINGTON — For proponents of legalizing marijuana for personal use in New Jersey, their new theme song may be, “You can’t always get what you want.”

After failing to win approval of legislation earlier this year, advocates said they would settle for less than they would prefer, with the hope that they can make changes to the law later.

“It’s a start to open a door to move forward with more reform,” said Tyler McFadden, northeast political associate for NORML, the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. “We can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.”

NORML held its annual legislative conference in the nation’s capital last week, and the view from Washington was a cautious optimism that the New Jersey Legislature would act after the November election.

“The fact that they were so close gives me hope they can figure it out,” said Kris Krane, president of 4Front, a cannabis company. “It was so close that I can’t imagine that it won’t happen soon.”

Illinois, with demographics similar to New Jersey and also with a governor and legislature controlled by the same party, provides a road map for the Garden State to follow, Krane said.

One reason for optimism in New Jersey is that the pro-cannabis community has decided to get on the same page and work together, said Charlana McKeithen, director of Garden State NORML.

“It’s not about us; it’s about us coming together as us,” she said.

For another, advocates are counting on a better working relationship between Gov. Phil Murphy and leaders of the Democratic-controlled Legislature, which have frayed during his first two years in office.

“The parties started fighting and didn’t want to sit down at the table,” McKeithen said.

And while some sort of help for communities and individuals unfairly targeted by the War on Drugs was a necessary part of any legislation, supporters said they understood there were limits on what they could ask for.

Go too far, and you risk turning off the moderate Democrats and Republicans whose votes were needed for passage.

“The political reality is that was difficult for the central Jersey moderate white Democrats to accept,” Krane said.

This piece first appeared in NJ Cannabis Insider.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JDSalant or on Facebook. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.

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