TRENTON - Marijuana-legalization advocate Ed Forchion cannot change his name to njweedman com, an appeals court has ruled. Forchion maintains he wants to change his name to promote his advocacy for reform of marijuana laws, not to encourage the sale or use of marijuana, as the Camden County Prosecutor's Office contends. The Pemberton Township resident also hoped to use the njweedman com name in the fall during his third-party campaign to challenge U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd of Mount Holly. [continues 151 words]
TRENTON - A Superior Court judge will again decide whether marijuana legalization advocate Ed Forchion should be allowed to change his name to njweedman com. An appeals court ruled yesterday that a Superior Court judge in Camden County should not have denied Forchion's request to change his name in February 2002 because Forchion was not at the hearing. At the time, the Pemberton Township man was in Riverfront State Prison in Camden, serving 10 years on a marijuana trafficking charge. He has since been released. [continues 225 words]
CAMDEN - Marijuana legalization advocate Ed "njweedman" Forchion has completed a 20-month parole term for drug possession, but his legal problems are not yet over. On Dec. 2, the day before state officials officially notified Forchion he was discharged from the Intensive Supervision Program, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office filed court papers alleging the Pemberton Township resident failed to comply with a new state law mandating every person convicted of a crime provide a sample of DNA for inclusion in a database. [continues 342 words]
Marijuana legalization advocate Ed "njweedman" Forchion is in trouble with the law again. Forchion was jailed Monday night after he violated the terms of the supervisory program in which he is enrolled, officials said yesterday. As a result, the Pemberton Township resident could be forced to return to prison to serve the remainder of his 10-year sentence on marijuana- related charges. Tom Bartlett, regional director for the Intensive Supervision Program, said Forchion violated provisions of the program by advocating marijuana use. [continues 390 words]
Perennial political candidate and marijuana legalization advocate Ed "njweedman" Forchion has been released from state prison. Forchion, a Pemberton Township resident, was sentenced in December 2000 to 10 years in prison for conspiring to distribute 40 pounds of marijuana. He was released from Bayside State Prison in Leesburg, Cumberland County, on Tuesday and has entered a program in which he must refrain from smoking marijuana and must find a job. He also must provide regular urine samples to demonstrate that he is staying clean. [continues 404 words]
STRATFORD - Ed "NJ Weedman" Forchion, a candidate for the state Assembly in the 8th District and for Camden County Freeholder, was arrested Monday on charges of marijuana possession, authorities said. Forchion, 35, a Chesilhurst resident who is running for both seats as a member of the Legalize Marijuana Party of South Jersey, was stopped for speeding in this Camden County community at 11:44 p.m., police Capt. Nick DiEttore said. A routine background check determined that Forchion was wanted in Camden, Woodbury and Gloucester Township for failing to appear in municipal court within the last year on charges ranging from possession of small amounts of marijuana to resisting arrest and motor vehicle violations, DiEttore said. All committed while running for office last year. After Stratford police ticketed Forchion for speeding, driving with a suspended license, driving without insurance and driving with an expired license, he was transported to the Camden County Jail, with bail set at $2,995 bail, DiEttore said. Forchion yesterday said that a supporter he declined to identify posted the bail. [continues 223 words]
