Ed Forchion

Robert Edward Forchion Jr
Ed Forchion, also known as NJ Weedman, in Atlantic City, New Jersey, 2019
Born
Robert Edward Forchion Jr

(1964-07-23) July 23, 1964 (age 60)
Sicklerville, New Jersey, U.S.
Other namesNJ Weedman
Occupation(s)Activist, actor, writer, restaurateur
Known forCannabis rights activism
Political partyLegalize Marijuana Party

Edward Forchion (born Robert Edward Forchion, Jr July 23, 1964), also known as NJWeedman, is an American Rastafari cannabis rights and free speech activist, perennial candidate, actor, writer, and restaurateur.[1] He is the founder of the Legalize Marijuana Party. In 2020 he legally changed his name to NJ Weedman.[2]

A resident of New Jersey and California, he is a registered medical cannabis user. He has been arrested and convicted for some of his activities and has mounted various legal defenses and challenges to laws regarding cannabis.

After his last arrest the state of New Jersey filed a motion on March 7, 2017, for pretrial detention to incarcerate Forchion until trial. Forchion held a hunger strike for nearly two weeks while being held without bail, calling himself a political prisoner.[3][4][5] The trial began October 26, 2017.[6] On November 8, the jury found him not guilty of one charge of second-degree witness tampering, and was hung on another charge in the third degree.[7] In January 2018, he was again denied bail, pending a re-trial.[8] His appeal to being denied bail and being released was denied in February 2018.[9] In May 2018, in the second trial, he was acquitted by a jury on charges of witness tampering.[10] He had spent 447 days in jail.[11]

Following the legalization of cannabis in New Jersey in 2021, Forchion began openly selling marijuana from an unlicensed store across from the city hall in Trenton. He has said he will not close his store.[12]

Later in 2021 Forchion began weed-friendly ventures in Florida.[13][14]

  1. ^ Shea, Kevin (April 30, 2016). "NJ Weedman's long, strange trip as marijuana advocate". NJ.com. Retrieved May 18, 2017.
  2. ^ "After 20 years, longtime N.J. Marijuana activist officially changes his name". October 20, 2022.
  3. ^ Duffy, Christie (June 19, 2017). "NJ nurse with adopted son who suffers from seizures calls for less strict marijuana laws". PIX11-TV News.
  4. ^ Hochron, Adam (June 22, 2017). "2nd week of hunger strike for NJ Weedman protesting his bail reform lock-up". New Jersey 101.5.
  5. ^ Levinsky, David (June 25, 2017). "Celebrity bounty hunters come to Burlington County to fight bail reform". Burlington County Times. Archived from the original on June 26, 2017. Retrieved June 26, 2017. The pair cited the case of Pemberton Township native Ed Forchion, better known as NJWeedman, who has been held in Mercer County jail since March while awaiting trial for charges of witness tampering. He is currently engaged in a hunger strike to protest his inability to post bail. During Sunday's town hall, Chapman said he recently spoke to Forchion via phone in jail and considered him to be a political prisoner. "The guy is in jail for nothing and he's being held like Al Capone," he said. "This is a politically held prisoner under the new New Jersey bail law."
  6. ^ "Trial of NJ Weedman, who is representing himself, is underway". NJ.com. October 26, 2017. Retrieved November 2, 2017.
  7. ^ "NJ Weedman not guilty on 1 witness tampering count, jury hung on 2nd". November 10, 2017. Retrieved November 10, 2017.
  8. ^ "Judge denies NJ Weedman's latest quest for freedom". NJ.com. January 16, 2018. Retrieved January 17, 2018.
  9. ^ "NJ Weedman loses appeal to get out of jail, will go to Supreme Court". February 22, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  10. ^ "NJ Weedman acquitted of witness tampering at 2nd trial". May 25, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  11. ^ "NJ Weedman spent 400-plus days in jail. Turns out he was not guilty". May 27, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  12. ^ "'Robinhood Reefer': Meet NJ Black Market Weed Seller Whose Shop Is Across From City Hall". NBC New York. March 4, 2021. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021.
  13. ^ "From Miami to Trenton, the changing fortunes of ed 'NJWeedman' Forchion".
  14. ^ "FLORIDA Latino News".