Pubdate: Thu, 09 Apr 2015
Source: Trentonian, The (NJ)
Copyright: 2015 The Trentonian
Contact:  http://www.trentonian.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/1006
Author: Edward Forchion, NJWeedman.com For The Trentonian

NJWEEDMAN VS. THE CHRISTIE

The Christie has had a bad spell-last week he made headlines by 
calling marijuana legalization and herb taxes "Blood Money." It's set 
in stone that Gov. Chris Christie does not like marijuana and is one 
of those fools who really believes the Reefer Madness lies of the 
1930s - no surprise there. He was confronted by a teacher and that 
encounter went viral, a state judge is questioning his pension plans, 
and his cronyism with the Wall Street bankers has been exposed as a 
nearly 1 billion dollar Cash Cow featured on the nationally televised 
show The Young Turks.

While I personally don't like most of Republican Christie's policies, 
and he personally bullied me years ago-I do like his Jersey style and 
his take-no-shit attitude, and though his presidency would have been 
scary on a global scale, imaging an "old friend of mine" as president 
was certainly interesting to me. I think it may have created a unique 
national profile opportunity for me.

Now I'm watching his presidential hopes go up in smoke, like rancid 
dope. And I'm having mixed feelings about it.

I've said repeatedly that his marijuana policies doom his chances 
nationally anyway. But THE GOV was forced to address the marijuana 
issue again after he was confronted by my alter ego "NJWeedman, 
Superhero of the Potheads," from the Weedmobil's PA system. Hey, 
Batman drives a Batmobile, so what do you expect Weedman to drive: a Weedmobil.

You see, just as Batman had his archenemies, such as the Joker and 
Riddler, NJWeedman has The Christie and Mary Potless Angelini. (That 
was a Harry Anslinger reference, for those in Rush Limbaugh's "Rio-linda.")

The alter ego of Clark Kent, star reporter at the fictional Daily 
Planet newspaper, is Superman. The alter ego of Edward Forchion, 
felon Columnist at the nonfictional newspaper The Trentonian, is 
NJWeedman. So I might need a Lois Lane (any voluptuous volunteers?), 
and like Batman had his sidekick, Robin, I need an Herb.

We are such polar opposites: If this were a comic book, I believe 
NJWeedman would be the little good guy persecuted citizen and The 
Christie would be the evil big guy bureaucratic tyrant. NJweedman 
would be the The Christie's nemesis.

In this episode: NJWeedman confronts The Christie with: "Hey, Batman 
drives a Batmobile, so what do you expect NJWeedman to drive? A Weedmobil."

NJWeedman helps others obtain medical marijuana; The Christie blocks 
them from getting it. Truth, justice, and the America way are 
concepts The Christie gives lip service to. When asked by NJWeedman 
when he would "stop arresting people for marijuana," The Christie 
replied: "You know now, I haven't arrested anybody. I don't get to do 
that anymore...I'm The Gov now... ask Obama!"

Christie has prosecuted people for pot, and he's been awarded the 
father-of-the-year award. NJWeedman has been prosecuted for pot and 
had his family destroyed for this plant. Christie is "rich," 
NJWeedman is "poor," Christie white, NJWeedman not, Christie aspires 
to the White House, NJWeedman avoids the jailhouse. NJWeedman is 
righteous, Christie is not.

I could have a ball actually making a comic strip of Christie vs 
NJWeedman, but this is an opinion Column. So on to serious issues. 
Christie has a major problem. On Monday the New Jersey State Supreme 
Court granted the administration's motion for it to assume 
jurisdiction in the case, the recent Appeals Court ruling that 
Christie must work with the Legislature to find the $1.5 billion 
pension installments that Christie cut from the current budget is at 
stake. Christie is a reneger.

So the State Supreme Court will now resolve the legal fight between 
The Christie administration and public employee unions over siphoned 
pension payments, which ironically is a precursor to another Christie 
decision on diverted retiree benefits at the end of the fiscal year. 
The Supreme Court set oral arguments in that budget case of 
Christie's for May 6, about seven weeks before the fiscal year ends 
on June 30. It appears Christie will be rebuffed in his case.

NJWeedman has become a major problem. The New Jersey Appeals Court 
has scheduled oral arguments in the State vs Forchion case on May 4. 
In this case, Clifton NJ lawyer John Saykanic challenged the very 
constitutionality of the NJ state marijuana laws for numerous 
reasons, including not providing a "religious exemption" to the state 
marijuana laws after it provided a "secular" exemption with the 
passage of the NJ Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act (CUMMA) in 
2010. The federal courts have said, "If a secular exemption is 
allowed, a religious exemption must be as well." NJWeedman foresees a 
historic successful ruling in this case.

This "marijuana religious issue" is getting a lot of national 
attention this week because of the recent Religious Freedom and 
Restoration Act version signed into law last week in Indiana. 
Indianapolis resident Bill Levin, who happens to be one of 
NJWeedman's Facebook friends and a comrade in marijuana-legalization 
activism, has formed a Cannabis Church called the 1st Church of Cannabis.

Saykanic also challenged the fact that when Forchion was arrested on 
April Fool's Day 2010, three months after CUMMA's passage, he had a 
valid medical card issued by the State of California. Christie has 
refused to allow NJ law to offer reciprocity in direct conflict with 
Article IV, Section 1, of the United States Constitution, known as 
the "Full Faith and Credit Clause."

The Full Faith and Credit Clause addresses the duties that states 
within the United States have to respect the "Public Acts, records, 
and judicial proceedings of every other state.

NJWeedman argues that he was a California resident at the time and 
had a valid CA medical marijuana card issued under the California 
Compassionate Use ACT. The State of New Jersey unconstitutionally at 
the behest of Christie refuses to accept the medical marijuana ACTS 
of other states. This was a similar argument used by The Christie in 
relation to gay marriage a couple years ago, but ultimately he 
capitulated on that. NJweedman predicts an ultimate win in this legal argument.

This simple legal argument is, just as a license is issued via the NJ 
Motor Vehicle ACT and as an ACT it is respected nationwide, so should 
my California marijuana card issued via the CA Compassionate Use ACT 
be included here in New Jersey despite The Christie.

BTW-this week NJWeedman had a great 45-minute conversation with 
Jon-Henry Barr, president of the NJ Municipal Prosecutors 
Association. I've been blowing smoke his way for five straight 
Columns, ever since he said it was "a waste to be prosecuting people 
for pot." Now I always knew he wasn't my enemy, but he reassured me 
that he was more my ally than The Christie's.

He told me they already took an unofficial straw poll on legalization 
and they are on NJWeedman's side, but they can't just stop 
prosecuting potheads in defiance of state laws. I still differ on 
that. I know another 404 potheads were prosecuted by the state's 
municipal prosecutors again, mostly citizens of color.

Again, just like during alcohol prohibition prosecutors refused to 
prosecute alcohol users, I publicly demand municipal prosecutors 
refuse to prosecute potheads during this pot prohibition.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom