ASBURY PARK - Legal weed could be a long-awaited cure for people looking for pain relief and a government looking for tax revenue. Or it could backfire, leaving cops, employers and parents unprepared for a radical shift in drug policy.

For now, all eyes are on Trenton, where lawmakers appear to be struggling with details of a bill that can both solve pressing social ills and guard against unintended consequences.

"Why are we trying to push something through without the answers to the questions," asked Jethro James, senior pastor of Paradise Baptist Church in Newark and an opponent of legalized recreational marijuana.

James was among the panelists who spoke at The Asbury hotel Wednesday night at "Let's Talk About Marijuana," a forum hosted by the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey.

New Jersey lawmakers are inching closer to voting on a law that would both expand its medical marijuana program and legalize recreational marijuana, joining nine other states and Washington, D.C.

But the timing is uncertain. Senate President Stephen Sweeney had said a vote could come by the end of October, but that deadline looks unlikely.

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The forum drew several advocates who testified to weed's benefits. Among them: Nick Ambrosino, 23, of Long Branch, who had tried several prescription drugs to treat ailments before settling on marijuana.

New Jersey allows medical marijuana, but it's expensive, Ambrosino said, costing as much as $500 an ounce.

"I want to get involved to help people get better products," he said.

Jethro James was joined on the panel by Amol Sinha, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union New Jersey chapter; Nick Bucci, a retired state trooper; John Zebrowski, chief of police in Sayreville; and James Nash, a staff writer for The Record.

It was moderated by Mike Davis, a reporter at the Asbury Park Press who has covered the issue with Nash for the USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey.

What did we learn?

1. The status quo isn't working

Nearly a quarter of adults ages 18 to 29 use marijuana, according to an April Gallup poll, but not all do so with impunity.

In New Jersey, you are three times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession if you are black, Sinha said.

In some communities the racial disparity is much greater, he said.

"If we don’t think about racial justice and social justice when we think about legalization, we are doing a true disservice,” he said.

Bucci said he spent 50 years trying to fight the drug war. He lost two partners in drug-related incidents. And he witnessed a man carrying five pounds of marijuana shot dead, he said.

"I can tell you this war on drugs has been an abject failure," he said.

2. Jobs, jobs, jobs

Legalized marijuana could be a $1 billion industry, generating thousands of new jobs and millions in tax revenue, panelists said.

New Jersey, a life sciences hub, could be a focal point for cannabis research. Heating and air conditioning companies could be called on to retrofit old warehouses for cultivators. Truck drivers, electricians, farmers could all get a boost, Sinha said.

"These are all industries that are going to see a benefit from legislation," he said.

3. Remember that part about jobs?

Job hunters who have trouble finding employment could face another obstacle with easy access to marijuana.

James sees trouble ahead. Dozens of suburban New Jersey towns have already voted to ban dispensaries, raising the prospect that operators will land in cities that have high unemployment rates.

"It would force another problem on the African American and Hispanic community," he said. If you use marijuana, "you're never going to drive a bus or train. You’ll never work for any major construction corporation. The employment piece will devastate our community."

4. What's the rush?

How, for example, should cops test for driving under the influence of marijuana? How should parents explain to their children, after years of telling them to just say no, that marijuana is OK? How are you going to make sure that everybody can share the wealth and not just a few big players? What are the health risks?

All were questions that were left unanswered.

"It does appear we are rushing," Zebrowski said. "Why can’t we wait a little bit so that we can look at this not-so-myopic way?"

5. Can't we just compromise?

The state should back off its push to legalize marijuana and opt for decriminalization instead, James said, which would take the racial disparity in arrests off the table.

But that, too, comes with obstacles, proponents said.

You can't buy or sell marijuana, but you can use it?

"What you're going to wind up doing is you're not going to take the drugs out of the street corner dealer," Bucci said. "When you decriminalize it he’s going to be out there selling his wares on the street corner and the people buying from him won’t know what he's mixed it with."

Michael L. Diamond; @mdiamond; 732-643-4038; mdiamond@gannettnj.com