Greenleaf 04-05-18

It is early February, 2018 and as legalization
initiates in the state of New Jersey many are
overcome with great feelings of excitement and
jubilation, while others… not so much. While
some have plans of big business venture and expanding
profit margin, some still have concern of
being targeted or incarcerated for what for them,
may still be considered cannabis crime. Some
feel this soon to be instated legalization will only
benefit modern kings and not the common. Case
in point: NJ Weedman, who now is nearing his
344th day incarcerated without bail, for a charge
he was found not guilty of 3 months prior to present
time.
Robert Edward “Ed” Forchion, Jr. (born
July 23, 1964), also known as NJ Weedman, is
an US military veteran, Rastafari, cannabis rights
activist, free speech and jury nullification activist,
writer, as well as a restaurateur. Forchion, a resident
of New Jersey and California, is a registered
medical cannabis patient. He has been arrested
and convicted for some of his activities and has
taken part in several legal defenses and contested
laws regarding cannabis. In his home town
of Trenton, he also owns a licensed eatery “NJ
Weedman’s Joint”, which is a 420-friendly soul
food restaurant that is changing the concept of
NJ cannabis, as well as medical cannabis consumers
choices in healthy eating.
Directly adjacent to NJ Weedman’s Joint
you will find his registered sanctuary and cannabis
church, the “Liberty Bell Temple III”. Forchion
created this sanctuary as a place of safe refuge
for those that, in their religion choose to use cannabis
as a form of holy sacrament, or ritual tool
of ceremony. As a Rastafari himself, NJ Weedman
finds great need for such places of worship.
Others who also consume the plant as sacrament
come from near and far to enjoy this holy place
and their right to freedom of religion and the use
of to their ritual herb.
Forchion’s latest saga of what he and
many others feel is corruption and race-based
incarceration, initiated when he and patrons of
his restaurant and sanctuary began being approached
by Trenton police, as they entered or
exited the establishments. Local police didn’t stop
there, but also ticketed and towed patron vehicles
while they were in use of the restaurant or
church. Not even Forchion’s iconic Weedmobile
was safe, as it was also soon impounded and
crushed by local authorities.
The accounts of what NJ Weedman had
considered blatant intimidation and harassment
only continued. The Trenton police soon began
issuing late night citations to the restaurant itself,
under what they filed as a business operating
past 11:00 pm zoning hours. This continued to
transpire even though Forchion had brought to
their attention that NJ Weedmans Joint was in
fact in the business zone which can close shop at
2:00 am according to business zoning and planning
charts (ordinance 146-22). Tickets and citations
accrued according to Weedman, “They went
so far as to ticket the restaurant when it wasn’t
even open, but the Temple was in use.” Forchion
explains.
Without being able to conduct proper
business under legal hours and without being
able to practice his religion freely with his peers,
Forchion decided neither the restaurant, nor his
sanctuary deserved such a fate. As last-ditch
effort to save the integrity of both, Weedman filed
a (religious) federal civil rights lawsuit against
the City of Trenton for harassment on March
8th, 2016. This, of course wouldn’t sit lightly with
Trenton’s Police, as Forchion was well aware.
What Weedman didn’t know and What Forchion
would soon learn was that on March 10th, 2016
and only 2 days after he filed his lawsuit, Police
Detective Yolanda Ward hired a confidential informant,
in attempt to finally close down Weedman’s
Joint for good.
Well a rat is never good in a restaurant,
and this time was no different. On numerous
occasions this unknown informant would pose
as a NJ Weedman’s Joint patron. Often while at
the 420-friendly eatery the informant would ask
Forchion if he had any available sacrament or
cannabis for sale. This was to no avail time and
time again, as Forchion denied his requests.
After some time, the informant made himself
right at home, as rats do. Eventually this informant
became a faithful restaurant customer and
Temple member and even donated $300.00 to
the church. As a shared blessing and sacrament
between trusted friends and clergy, the informant
was able to procure cannabis.
Trenton police found this all that need be
to incarcerate Forchion, so on April 27th, 2016
Weedman was arrested by officials, based on
informant testimony. This however was not Ed’s
J19