Pubdate: Mon, 14 Apr 2014
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2014 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Jeff Edelstein

WANT TO (ILLEGALLY) SMOKE POT ON THE STATE HOUSE STEPS? YOUR CHANCE 
COMES SUNDAY AT 4:20 P.M.

Wasn't so long ago police officers used to kick Ed Forchion in his 
nether regions before they'd arrest him. Now, they ask for his autograph.

In short: Things have changed for the NJWeedman.

"I was at the Statehouse a few years ago, and I had a weed shirt on," 
Forchion recalled. "I wasn't even there to protest or anything, I 
just had to run into the bill room, I wanted to read something, but I 
was banned from the building and I ended up getting kicked in the 
(groin) and going to jail." Today? "When I went to pick up my city 
permit for next week's rally, a Trenton cop asked me for my 
autograph," he said. "Basically, I'm not a wacko now, not some lone 
dude screaming about smoking weed. Most people agree with me."

This coming Sunday - 4/20, naturally - Forchion, along with Jawara 
McIntosh (aka Tosh 1 and the son of legendary reggae star and 
marijuana legalization activist Peter Tosh) will be hosting "4/20 at 
Noon," a march and rally in support of New Jersey Sen. Nicholas 
Scutari's marijuana legalization bill. Marchers are meeting across 
from the Statehouse at noon, organizing a walk from the train station 
at 2 p.m., and, if Forchion's plans go off without a hitch, staging a 
massive smoke-in on the Statehouse steps at - uhhuh - 4:20 p.m.

Forchion said he expects at least 500 likeminded (and high-minded, 
sorry) individuals to put their Easter plans on hold to come out and 
make their point. And that point is ... "It's a great opportunity to 
support Sen. Scutari's bill," Forchion said. "Listen, Chris Christie 
has drawn his line in the sand on the issue of marijuana. He's said 
he won't amend the medical marijuana bill further, said legalization 
won't happen on his watch. This is an opportunity for the public to 
not only cross his line, but to do it publicly, with hundreds of 
people, demanding legalization." So yes. Forchion plans on having 
hundreds, if not thousands, of protesters light up their joints, 
bowls, bongs, apple cores, what have you, all at the same time, all 
in public, all on the steps and surrounding area of the Statehouse. 
And then he expects ...

"I guess I expect to be arrested, as a leader of this, but I don't 
know," Forchion said. "I don't think the police are going to be in 
head cracking mode. Honestly, I think this is an opportunity for the 
police to side with ' we the people' and not engage in head cracking, 
which I'm sure law and order types like Christie would want to see 
happen. But I don't think it will."

Truly, the only bigger story than 500 arrests would be the opposite: 
Zero arrests.

"I think the police are going to be respectful," Forchion said. 
"Attitudes have changed."

Just imagine, for a moment, being Forchion. For whatever reason, you 
decide to pretty much dedicate your life - back in 1997 - to the 
legalization of marijuana. You're more or less a voice in the 
wilderness. Fast forward to today and the wilderness has been 
overrun. Marijuana is legal in two states, decriminalized in another 
16, used for medicine in a handful of other states. The tide has turned.

"I went from the weirdo in the 90s to the hero in 2014," Forchion 
said. "We've already won the war of marijuana. The people have won. 
The government has just refused to quit. Public opinion is clearly on 
our side, and growing."
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom