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Harvested cannabis plants dry for a couple weeks in the drying room as Master Grower Ricardo Luis looks at them. A look at the Greenleaf Compassion Center, a medical cannabis dispensary. Friday March 9, 2018. Montclair, NJ, USA NJCIAristide Economopoulos for NJ Ad

The fight to legalize recreational marijuana for adults 21 and over in New Jersey has drowned out the growing chorus of support to make medicinal cannabis more accessible to a fast-growing pool of patients in the state.

Democratic leaders in the state Senate have insisted the separate recreational weed bill and medical expansion bill be voted on together in order to corral more support for legalization.

Here’s what you need to know about the bill to expand medical marijuana (A10), which is scheduled for final votes in both the state Senate and Assembly on Monday:

1. Patients may buy more cannabis every month. Physicians would be able to recommend patients 2.5 ounces a month, up from the current 2 ounces, and 3 ounces six months later. People in hospice care or diagnosed with a terminally disease would have no purchasing limits.

2. Fewer trips to the doctor. Patients would only need to certify they qualify for the program once a year, instead of every 90 days under the current law. Doctor’s visits are not covered by insurance.

3. A stab at price controls. Dispensaries must post prices that cannot be changed more than once a month. New Jersey has the most expensive medical cannabis in the country — as much as $500 an ounce with sales tax. The price list is an attempt to bring some relief.

4. More places to buy it. A newly created Cannabis Regulatory Commission — which will control both the medicinal program and the anticipated recreational industry — would solicit applicants for six new grow and retail operations within 90 days. There are six dispensaries serving 42,000 patients.

5. Edibles for everyone. A vestige of the Christie administration, edible products can only be solid to minors. That would change.

6. No tax on medicine. The bill phases out the 6.625 percent sales tax on medical marijuana over five years. This has been a sore spot for patients who point out no other medicine is taxed.

7. Job protections. Patients would receive some protection from losing their jobs, depending on the occupation.

8. Welcome, visitors. Out-of-state medicinal marijuana patients from the 32 states where it is also legal to buy and consume cannabis could partake in New Jersey.

9. More “prescribers.” Advance practice nurses and nurse practitioners who have the power to write prescriptions will also have the authority to recommend patients to the program.

10. Protecting parents. Patients won’t lose visitation or custody of their children because they are registered in the program.

If the legalization bill stalls, sources say Gov. Phil Murphy, a Democrat, would allow a massive expansion of the number of dispensaries to meet the growing demand of patients.

Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook