  The AJ Conjecture relates a quantum invariant, a minimal order recursion for
the colored Jones polynomial of a knot (known as the $\hat{A}$ polynomial),
with a classical invariant, namely the defining polynomial $A$ of the $\psl$
character variety of a knot. More precisely, the AJ Conjecture asserts that the
set of irreducible factors of the $\hat{A}$-polynomial (after we set $q=1$, and
excluding those of $L$-degree zero) coincides with those of the $A$-polynomial.
In this paper, we introduce a version of the $\hat{A}$-polynomial that depends
on a planar diagram of a knot (that conjecturally agrees with the
$\hat{A}$-polynomial) and we prove that it satisfies one direction of the AJ
Conjecture. Our proof uses the octahedral decomposition of a knot complement
obtained from a planar projection of a knot, the $R$-matrix state sum formula
for the colored Jones polynomial, and its certificate.
