Pubdate: Thu, 26 Mar 2015
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Column: NJ Weedman's Passing the Joint
Copyright: 2015 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Edward Forchion, NJWeedman.com For The Trentonian

AFTER A SUCCESSFUL SMOKE-OUT RALLY, TIME TO KEEP FIGHTING

Civil disobedience is the active, professed refusal to obey certain 
laws, demands, or commands of a government. "One has not only a 
legal, but a moral responsibility to obey just laws. Conversely, one 
has a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws." - Martin Luther King Jr.

The great Spring Smoke-out of 3/21 was a billed as the first of a 
series of planned civil disobedience protests here in New Jersey, 
designed to bring awareness and change to the plight of the victims 
of the Pot Prohibition Gov. Chris Christie and State Assemblywomen 
Mary Pat Angelini so steadfastly embrace.

It went off without a hitch. At least 420 citizens came to the state 
capitol Saturday, which is about the same amount of people that are 
prosecuted weekly by John Barr and his co-horts in the State 
Municipal Prosecutors Association. These brave out of the cannabis 
closet 400 marched on the state capitol building and fired up Phatt 
joints, and defied Christie's edible ban by eating THC Rice Krispie 
treats, and THC infused edibles donated by a New Jersey transplanted 
California ganjapreneur at 4:20 p.m. These 400+ citizens basically 
said, "F-the law, and smoked it anyway".

Incredibly there was even a Reefer-Raffle; an ounce of the sticky 
icky was raffled off at the statehouse - potheads don't need scratch 
off's or a lottery when you can win some herb?

We heard great speeches and horrible stories of the pot prohibition 
from the likes of citizen Jo An Zito whose family was ripped apart 
for growing a couple plants in a closet, or the story of Ricardo 
Riviera and the plight of his daughter who has a form of epilepsy and 
needs that same plant the Governor wants to remain illegal, for her 
survival. L.E.A.P (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) didn't show 
but ex-Philadelphia Police Officer Ray Lewis came and spoke on behalf 
of marijuana legalization.

No potheads were arrested, although one inebriated person was 
arrested along the march but he wasn't really with the potheads, he 
joined the march at the train station and had a bottle of Wild Irish 
Rose hanging out of his jacket and became belligerent to the Trenton 
City Officers who were guiding the peaceful proud patriotic pothead 
protesters marching down State Street.

So I'm butthappy, a huge turnaround on my feeling of butthurt I wrote 
about (2/25) a few weeks ago.

The Spring Smoke-out went well, even though none of the specially 
invited guests like N.J.U.M.R. (New Jersey United for Marijuana 
Reform) showed up or helped promote this civil disobedience act. The 
local N.A.A.C.P. didn't show, even though it is "colored people" who 
disproportionately become victims of the racist Cannabis prohibition. 
The cross is embedded too deeply for them to see the righteousness of 
this just cause, I assume.

I personally went to the deputy Mayors office and asked the mayor to 
stand up against prohibition too. No call no show, so now I'm on a 
mission to visit you Mr. Jackson.

The East Coast Cannabis Coalition participated wholeheartedly, as did 
Phillynorml, Delaware Norml - (National Organization to reform 
Marijuana Laws) notably missing was NormlNJ who's director Evan 
Nissan said "he wasn't coming because these events aren't effective." 
How wrong he is, I'm glad MLK didn't listen to dumbcrap like that  a 
half a dozen of the states media outlets highlighted this event. 
Presenting this event to the public, was effective.

Hundreds of thousands of New Jerseyans state-wide watched the press 
reports to see if the NJ state police would act like storm troopers 
or compassionate cops. 101.5 FM the statewide radio talk station 
reported on the civil disobedience demonstrated on Saturday and 
several of its hosts have talked about it in several segments since 
then. So yeah it was effective Evan.

Announcement: I Mc'd the event and made a big announcement. Referring 
back to my first column of the year "WE ARE WINNING"  1/2/2015 I said 
one of my goals this year was to open a Religious Temple that 
provided our sacrament to the congregants. Well a Trenton Landlord 
has offered a fine piece of property and if the potheads of Jersey 
can come up with an investor for the down payment the new Liberty 
Bell Temple (III) may open as the central meeting, organizing place 
for the Green Collar type unfunded freedom loving marijuana activist.

On Monday afternoon I was listening to 101.5's on air host Jeff/Bill 
talking about the Spring Smoke-out but they refused to take my call. 
That's when I realized the "ASK THE GOV SHOW" was coming on at 6 
p.m., so I hustled over to the Ewing station hoping to catch the 
Governor on his way in and ask him my own question.

I missed him, so I hid around the corner in the dark and listened to 
the show on the radio. One of the first things he said while on air 
was when he goes to Iowa or New Hampshire he is stalked and heckled.

How ironic, I was right outside waiting in the dark, puffing on a 
Phatty - stalking.

At 10 minutes to 7 as the show was winding down I watched from a 
distance as his NJ State Police security detail came out, started the 
Suv's and went back in the station.

Instead of playing a prank like stealing THE GOV's SUV or shaving 
creaming it I took that time to plant a bottle of bud on the employee 
bench for my Budhunt and moved the WEEDMOBIL directly across from the 
Gov SUV's and laid in wait. (www.tinyurl.com/NJbudhunt - oh you 
didn't know I randomly leave weed and post the location online for 
needy potheads to find and call it a BUDHUNT)

At 710 p.m., the gov and his entourage waddled unsuspectingly out of 
the building.

Out of the dark I spoke to him thru the WEEDMOBIL's Pa system as I 
video recorded it (www.tinyurl.com/THEGOV). I announced it was 
NJWeedman so I wouldn't get shot, and explained if Batman has a 
batmobile what do you expect the WEEDMAN to drive.

The Gov was surprisingly receptive to me and said, you're the weedman 
you can drive whatever you want and I was relentless chasing him for 
12 years. But when I asked THE GOV my Question  "When are you going 
to stop arresting or having people arrested for marijuana"? He said, 
"You know I don't do that anymore blah, blah, blah ... Ask Obama"!

What? He blamed it on Obama! And told me to go to Washington D.C. and 
park the weed truck at the Whitehouse and ask President Obama. I then 
asked a second question, "could he get me a appointment with him he's 
your buddy". He made a hand gesture and blew me a kiss. It was a 
Christie Gov kiss, not a McGreevy kiss so I told him I liked him, he 
replied I like you too.

I wish he'd flip-flop on his marijuana policies and make me the Pot 
Czar of his administration. But really Gov I didn't think you 
belonged to the FOXNEWS crowd of Republicans that blame everything on 
Obama but in this case your right!

If the former Choom gang leader - President Obama got his priorities 
right he could end pot prohibition with a stroke of a pen by just 
removing it from the Controlled Substance Schedule - legalize it.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom