NJWeedman plans to sell weed to protest the weed law
If and when marijuana becomes legal in
New Jersey - and we’ll probably find out a lot more about that this week there will be some twisted poetry in the law. Basically, people who are currently in the illegal marijuana business will have pretty much zero shot at being allowed into the legal marijuana business.
To get a license to sell weed in New Jersey, you’ll have to have a spotless criminal record, a spotless financial record, and a few million as a bankroll. This precludes a lot of people, obviously. And at least one person is none to happy about it. I’ll give you one guess.
“There’s a black market thriving right now and the only thing holding us back from putting our names on buildings is the law,” said Ed Forchion, otherwise known as the NJWeedman. “And they’re writing the law to exclude all of us. I see all these people lined up, these ganjapreneurs, or whatever they call themselves. I call them the ‘cannibaggers,’ the rich corporations, all these people lining up to start this ‘new’ industry. Which is kind of like the Columbusization of the current marijuana industry. We’re here, just like the Native Americans were here. Christopher Columbus comes over and claims he found it and ran with it. Listen. The black market is here. These guys are coming in, the politicians and everyone, and trying to create this new industry when it’s already here.”
Forchion is not getting a license. He has a felony marijuana conviction. He thinks this is ridiculous.
And so, in what should come as a surprise to no one, he’s planning to do something about. His plan? To openly start selling marijuana, starting on Thursday at a location to be disclosed. He plans on getting arrested. And then he plans to do what he’s always done: Agitate the hell out of the judicial system in an effort to prove his point.
“This is a two pronged offensive here,” he said. “This isn’t about legalization only, it’s also about me promoting jury nullification. I’m saying the prosecution can’t get 12 people to convict me. They’re going to see the same thing I see. They’re going to go, ‘oh, he’s right. All these people getting into the business, and guys like him can’t?’”
Fact is, he’s got a point. New Jersey’s law - if passed - will be the strictest legalization law in the land. No chance for anyone with a prior conviction - marijuana or not - to get into the business, no carve-out for home growers. New Jerseyans will not be allowed to plant even one seed.
“Nothing will change for me if pot becomes legal,” Forchion said. “None of us suddenly become legal, it doesn’t do anything for us. Honestly, I don’t even want legalization if this is how it’s going to be.”
So Forchion’s plan is pretty simple: Sell weed, get arrested, go to a jury trial, have the jury nullify the law, open the playbook up so others can follow.
Only hitch in the plan is he might not get arrested. A state police officer refused to arrest Forchion when he was openly smoking and selling in front of the Statehouse last September. And so what happens if that happens again?
“If they don’t arrest me, then that means I’ll be back the next day,” he said. “And the day after that.”
Per usual, Forchion is seeking to blaze a trail for other likeminded individuals.
“If 1,000 people like me decide we’re going to sell weed just like the rich corporations, what are they going to do?” he asked. “So do we sit back and watch and complain or do we do something?”
Forchion is a do-er, as evidenced by his fighting the marijuana battle for over 20 years, and clearly, he’s not going to stop until … well, he’s probably never going to stop, at least not until marijuana rights are written into the United States Constitution.
In the meantime, if you’d like to buy some of Forchion’s weed, stay tuned to his social media channels. He’ll probably be announcing where his partaking pop-up will puff into existence in the hours leading up to the sale. Should be a hoot. Bring popcorn.