The Persecution of
NJ Weedman For many years, Ed Forchion has called for his home state to legalize marijuana. Instead, they’re trying to put him in jail. By Chris Goldstein Many people driving to New Jersey’s capital city of Trenton take Route 29 alongside the Delaware River, and pass a bridge emblazoned with the giant phrase, TRENTON MAKES— THE WORLD TAKES. Robert Edward Forchion, a.k.a. NJ Weedman, perfectly embodies that spirit of broad innovation, seamlessly carrying out the roles of activist, writer, legal expert and business owner. Lighting up joints in public, and on the floor of the N.J. General Assembly and in a Trenton City Council meeting, has earned him both respect and admonition from his peers. Although not formally trained in law, he’s represented himself in numerous court proceedings over the years, persuading jurors to grant favorable verdicts. Police, prosecutors and politicians have gone to extremes in their attempts to silence the dreadlocked black cannabis reformer and entrepreneur from Cam-
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den, N.J., but Forchion, 52, has fought them back at every turn, much to their collective chagrin. The latest onslaught of bizarre law enforcement actions against him involves a SWAT Team, a confidential informant and a cop named Officer Herb Flowers (not kidding). “They’re really going for it,” Forchion tells me, genuinely astonished and slowly shaking his head at his current situation. We’re at his sandwich shop, The Joint, on Trenton’s State Street, which is at the center of his current conflict. Just one year ago, The Joint was packed with customers, many wearing government access badges on lanyards. It’s directly across the street from Trenton City Hall, just one block from the federal courthouse and the EPA building, and surrounded by office buildings filled with workers. In a strange juxtaposition, Forchion was serving coffee and lemonade to tables full of government employees. The Joint was actually successful, and there was a sincere mutual affection between the owner and his patrons. On July 3, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora even presented Forchion with an official recognition certificate from the legislature, and the local press gave Forchion’s food venture glowing write-ups. They probably didn’t notice the door that opened into the so-called “cannabis temple” in an adjacent room, where registered medical marijuana patients, religious consumers and others peace-
january/february 2017