I’ve Supported NJ Weedman for Years; Post RE: Police Raid

I’ve supported NJ Weedman for more years than I can remember. He is an advocate for weed, and a very brave, respectable man in my eyes. I support him fully and wish him the best of luck. RESPECT!

Check him out above or read the article below (original post cited).

TRENTON — Days after heavily armed police raided his downtown restaurant and pot temple, arresting him and 10 others and carting off $19,000 in alleged marijuana, a defiant NJ Weedman says he won’t back down.

In fact, less than 30 hours after his arrest he posted to his Facebook page a video of him rolling up a joint, lighting it up and smoking.

“Fifteen years ago I said I was never going to take a plea,” he says on the video. “Since then I’ve beaten the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office twice. And now Mercer County has lined up for their ass whoopin’.”

Ed Forchion aka NJ Weedman

The notorious marijuana advocate, who operates the eatery and cannabis sanctuary across from City Hall, is facing a litany of charges alleging he was drug dealing and maintaining a narcotics nuisance and a fortified premises in the business, which opened last June.

Forchion, a former congressional and gubernatorial candidate, says authorities “exaggerated and misconstrued the goings on at the temple.”

Sure, there’s plenty of weed in there, he says. And lots of smoking, both inside and out on the building’s eclectically decorated backyard. That he doesn’t deny.

But he says he plans on defending himself in court and convincing a jury to acquit him by explaining that he doesn’t deal drugs — he just shares. And if people feel like leaving some money in a donation jar, they can.

“I believe I’m conviction proof,” he says, figuring that sensible jurors from Mercer County will see that “it’s just weed.”

Getting a jury to return a not-guilty verdict based on their belief that a law is unjust is a concept known as jury nullification — and judges in New Jersey don’t allow defendants to instruct juries to do this. It was tried unsuccessfully last year by a Mays Landing man at trial on charges that he grew marijuana plants in the Pinelands. He was sentenced in January to eight years in prison.

But Forchion has fought the law before and won. He defended himself in a 2012 trial on drug-dealing charges but was found not guilty after a retrial.

In 2003 he convinced a federal judge to release him from prison after he was jailed for advocating marijuana law reforms, which officials claimed violated his parole. Forchion had pleaded guilty in 2000 to drug dealing charges after he and his brother picked up a 40-pound package of marijuana that had been shipped by FedEx. Forchion was sentenced to 10 years but was released on parole after 16 months.

Sharing is caring

On Friday afternoon he decided to give his own side of the story, so he invited reporters to his establishment — which is actually a combination of the restaurant called the Joint, which serves turkey sandwiches and other fare for $4.20; an adjoining smoke shop that sells bongs and pipes; and the Liberty Bell Temple, which is says is a bona fide religious institution and exempt from the city’s business curfew.

Forchion said the paraphernalia charges were based on the items for sale in the smoke shop. He says the fortified premises charge against him is probably based on his surveillance-camera system. He pointed to a mess of detached wires on the wall of his office where he says police during the raid grabbed the system’s recording device. He says he installed the cameras to prove that police were lying or exaggerating about alleged disturbances outside his restaurant.

The temple, meanwhile, is the focus of a federal civil rights lawsuit Forchion filed last month after police busted his shop on the curfew violation. He claims the ordinance violates his religious liberties. The city, which is being defended by the law firm of state Sen. Raymond Lesniak, D-Union, disagrees.

Police say they Wednesday’s sting was sparked after complaints from “multiple sources” about drug dealing and “constant foot traffic in and out of the establishment at all hours.”

Benefit to the community?

Inside,

Recreational Weed Legal As of Today in Oregon!

Victory for Oregon! It’s the third state to legalize marijuana for recreational use. Now we just need for the rest of the state governments to wake up…. Either way, congratulations to the residents of Oregon!

Repost and link below:Marijuana dispensaries in Oregon can start selling recreational pot starting today.

Oregon’s legal market for recreational marijuana kicks off Thursday, less than a year after the state’s voters passed a bill allowing Oregon to join the two states where recreational pot sales are already legal: Colorado and Washington. While Alaska and Washington, D.C., voters passed similar bills to legalize recreational pot, Oregon now becomes just the third state to actually establish a system for legal sales. (Alaskan officials are still working out the details of a regulated recreational marijuana market, while D.C.’s laws only legalized the possession of recreational pot, not sales.)

To read more Click Here

Just a Few Reasons Why Marijuana Should Be Legal & Socially Accepted

I don’t understand why Marijuana is illegal. Before making your choice, or even if you have made your choice, I hope all should read and consider the information below. I am a very strong advocate for legalizing weed for many reasons. I’d like to start out by saying I am not against drinking and don’t think it should be illegal. I don’t enjoy drinking but have no problem with those who do. The point of me discussing alcohol V weed…well, it should be obvious. But I digress so, back on topic!

The first reason I support legalizing is– I don’t understand why alcohol (not to mention cigarettes and etc) are legal when they are proven killers, yet marijuana is illegal yet is not a killer? Some statistics…. Alcohol is legal yet is responsible for 2.5 million deaths annually world-wide. In America, alcohol can be related to at least 75,000 deaths each year.

Marijuana has no -not one- recorded death…yet in most states it is illegal. ???  

Secondly, though alcohol is not a scapegoat for the actions of abusers and cheaters, it definitely makes them feel they can act as they please, revealing their true inner self.  And I must add this:

Black Business Owner Framed by Undercover Cop- It’s VITAL we Remember Black Wall Street and Make Sure This Stops, NOW.

In New York an undercover cop informant walked into a Black owned business and planted cocaine inside (crack, to be more specific). He then proceeded to photograph it, and in the end the innocent business owner was arrested. What the brilliant police informant didn’t know, thankfully, was the entire falsification and crime this informant committed had been captured by the security camera.

 Andrews’s lawyer can be heard narrating the shocking surveillance video.

“He comes in, places the crack on the counter. Crack, which under federal sentencing guidelines, would get him 4 years in jail. Under New York State law would get him 2 to 7 years in jail,” attorney Kevin Luibrand says in the video.

I don’t care if he had a smoke shop; and it makes no difference how the people may use the LEGAL items in his store- if a store sells rope and someone uses it to commit suicide, is that store owner responsible for the death? NO.

It enrages me the video mentions he had a “smoke shop” where you can buy smoking “devices” and things of the like. That’s not relevant. Not to mention, crack cocaine and marijuana are two MASSIVELY different things.

Let’s go back in time for a moment now… Note the similarities?

[ First…For those who would rather watch than read, below is a brilliant and tragic documentary… It is one everyone needs to see, I believe. If you’d like a shorter version, there is one at the end of this article.]

In 1921 there was a community known as Black Wall Street located in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Before I go on about that let me touch the tip of the iceberg, so to speak, on how horrifically hard life was for Blacks in America in the 1900s.

On the one hand, it’s great as slavery was now illegal by text (as it still is,,,by text); lynchings and horrific public killings went on as a normal and acceptable occurrence, and no one was exempt. Not women, not men…not even children. After slavery was made “illegal” one must realize it did not vanish overnight. It still hasn’t vanished today with our prison system but that’s another blog.

After slavery was put on the books as illegal, slavery did not vanish. The now former slaves either were not made aware of their new “freedom” or convinced to stay there- for they had no where else to go. The government didn’t give any aid or help in how to start a life of ones own, getting a job in a white world where you don’t know which white person is kind and which had the desire to lynch you would have paralyzed me with fear -as I am sure it did far too many. So many people continued to slave away because fear is strong and sometimes it is easier to do what you know than to break out into a new life. Especially if you’re afraid of those who used to be called your “master”.

Hell, if it wasn’t until the Supreme Court decision in 1967 that, in America a Black person and a white person could join hand in marriage legally, and yet still be harassed and attacked; imagine what it would have been like in the 1920s? If a white person even accused a Black man of looking at a white woman, he could/would likely be killed.

Black Wall Street goes back further than 1920, I encourage you all to either read about it or watch the video below; for though it is a tragic, tragic truth that we can see starting to happen again in America; it also has a wonderfully positive aspect to it. Their pride, hard work, sense of community and self empowerment is inspiring. We need that now.

But, for the purpose of this blog I will stay in the 1920s…

During a time of great struggle in America over something as pointless as color and race, there was a place called Black Wall Street. Located in Greenwood, Tulsa, Oklahoma, Black Wall Street was one of the most wealthiest and prominent Black communities in early 20th Century America. With a prosperous and healthy population of approximately 10,000 people in the Greenwood area of Tulsa, it was home not only to well off families, but also being the home to several multimillionaire businessmen, black businessmen.

Black Wall Street was called many derogatory names by whites. During what we now call the The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921, bombs, death and mass destruction caused the collapse of this thriving area. The Tulsa Race Riot of 1921 successfully demolished this thriving business community. It can easily be called one of the most devastating racial riots in history.

There are government records that make it clear they do not want the Black community to flourish. Look into the FBI files back during Hoover’s days. As I always say- we need to wake up, look at history and realize it could and is happening again but in a more subtle way.

The amazing Nelson Mandela said he didn’t fear those who were honest about their racism and hate; but rather those who kept it hidden for they are the most dangerous.

We need to remember that… Mandela is a soul whose judgment I know I feel is easy to trust. We must be smart and unify -everyone- against the real problem. If you don’t see the signs of something horrific coming (well, even more horrible than now) you truly should rethink your views…

Don’t let Black Wall Street happen again….. If you would like to get involved, activists have posted the following information on who to call and talk to about this matter- flood their phones. Let them know we will not tolerate this! We can’t.

A great point was made that, had he not had cameras, he would STILL be in JAIL…

Shorter Version of Black Wall Street –

More Proof of the Sickening Reality with the “War on ‘Drugs'”

This is absolutely unbelievable. I am an advocate against the “war on drugs” – I believe people with drug related issues need help not insane punishment as the government dishes out. I also do not classify marijuana- especially medical- as a drug. Below is an article from alternet that is America’s sick and sad reality, that truly and utterly disgusts me. Link follows article

After being diagnosed with liver cancer in 2009, Norman B. Smith applied to the liver transplant list at Cedar-Sinai hospital. While waiting for a transplant, Mr. Smith underwent chemotherapy in an attempt to destroy the cancer eating away at his liver. This caused severe side-effects, common to many cancer patients. In an attempt to curb the pain, and on the recommendation of his oncologist, Mr. Smith began using medical marijuana. Cannabis has become increasingly common as a medicine of choice for patients undergoing chemotherapy, since it increases appetite and reduces pain—minimizing the chance of a patient developing cancer related wasting syndrome.

Finally in September of 2010, Mr. Smith was notified that he was eligible for a liver transplant and was placed on the liver transplant list. Mr. Smith continued his treatment and submitted to drug testing per the hospital’s transplant list policy. After testing positive for THC (one of the active chemicals in marijuana), Mr. Smith was taken off the transplant list and denied a life saving procedure. Mr. Smith died because of this. It did not matter to the hospital that Mr. Smith’s marijuana use was non-recreational, and was approved by his oncologist as a way to treat his chemotherapy side effects.

This story is a more common than one might think.

My Rant on Soda Related Deaths, Alcohol & The History of Marijuana/Hemp – & the Many Reasons It Should Be Legal.

I should be studying but I can’t help but have to post this really fast… I just saw a tweet pop up with an article discussing death related to drinking “sugary beverages” such as soda… And it made me think of weed, of course! First I would like to make note, I do not do drugs, but I am a firm believer in fighting for people who DO and giving them whatever it is they are lacking, or doing the best we can as a society, to help ensure people don’t have to turn to drugs to ease their pain. I know there are other reasons people use drugs, and I know there are always going to be users.

However, I believe the majority want better, just as I don’t believe dealers really enjoy their “job” and also need help. But I digress!

Point is, I don’t view weed as a drug and though I love soda, it upsets me that it can be legal, while weed, a multipurpose, good for all plant, can’t! Yes, there is a connection or a point somewhere coming up.

Let’s go back a bit. According to Harvard researchers, 25,000 people died from “sugary beverage drinking” in America back in 2010. Worldwide, it was 180,000 in 2010. An actual quote from the article states:

“The data presents new evidence on the public health hazard triggered by artificial drinks.”

And while I believe these “sugary beverages” killing people could also have to do with not only sugar, but I believe it probably also has something to do with the aspartame, aseselfam and artificial crap they pour in them as well. So it’s not solely the sugars fault, though researchers have linked to the drinks to being (and I quote) “directly responsible” for 133,000 diabetic deaths. Whether or not they had diabetes prior, I am not sure. In addition, “sugary drinks” were also found to have been”directly responsible” in the deaths of 44,000 people with cardiovascular disease, as well as 6,000 people who passed away with cancer.

Gallup has reported nearly half Americans (around 48%) drink at least one glass of soda a day, with an average amount being 2.6 glasses. (Um, how in the world do they get information regarding how often we drink and what it is we are pulling out of the fridge!? There’s something else for you to look into. It’s not a joke.) Due to the amount of daily intake as well as the high mortality rate from the “directly responsible” drinks, researchers at Harvard have now labeled drinking “sugary beverages” as a public health hazard.

“We know that sugar-sweetened beverages are linked to obesity, and that a large number of deaths are caused by obesity-related diseases. But until now, nobody had really put these pieces together,” Singh said while presenting the results of the study at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting in New Orleans.

In my home city of New York, Bloomberg has been trying to implement an intrusive city-wide ban any artificial drink in a container over 16 ounces. Here I would just like to say, if a person is over weight and wants to drink a soda or eat a cheeseburger, they should do just that. It shouldn’t matter if you drink soda or not to share this belief. It should scare everyone when the government begins to regulate the amount of food or drink we can have. It should scare us all because though food or drink bans may not impact you, but it is the start of more bans to come which WILL impact you. We should -and are- all be in this together. But back to my rant (I am almost done with the sugary drink department). Finally, researchers conclude with the following: