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| 'Weedman' Protests Child Visitation Ruling |
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Posted by CN Staff on May 29, 2002 at 06:56:24 PT By John Reitmeyer & Mike Mathis, BCT Staff Writers Source: Burlington County Times 
Just weeks out of state prison, marijuana advocate Ed "njweedman'' Forchion was back on the public protest circuit yesterday.Forchion picketed the Burlington County courts complex in Mount Holly and the New Jersey Statehouse in Trenton to draw attention to a judge's recent decision that restricts his visits with his 6-year-old daughter. Forchion, a Pemberton Township resident, is a follower of the Rastafari religion and maintains that marijuana is needed for its rituals. A Superior Court judge assigned to the family division in Mount Holly, however, has limited him to only one supervised visit with his daughter each week because Forchion openly calls for the legalization of marijuana. "I guess the only way I can see my daughter is to become a Christian and start parroting the lies of the government about marijuana,'' Forchion wrote in a four-page leaflet he handed out during his protests. Meanwhile, a judge assigned to the Superior Court's family division in Camden awarded Forchion custody of his 16-year-old daughter last month, according to court documents. Forchion, a former candidate for the Burlington County Board of Freeholders and U.S. Congress, is a veteran of public protests. He's smoked marijuana at the Liberty Bell monument in Philadelphia, inside the Statehouse and outside the Burlington County courts complex. His protests yesterday were not as dramatic. Forchion carried a sign calling for "freedom of speech and freedom of religion,'' and quietly discussed the issue with passersby. He did not, however, speak to reporters because he said his state probation program prevents him from discussing marijuana legalization with the media. Forchion's legal troubles stem primarily from a 1997 charge that he tried to help his brother and another man pick up 40 pounds of marijuana shipped from a supplier in Arizona via Federal Express to a Camden County industrial park. Forchion pleaded guilty during his trial in October 2000. He was sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2000, but was released last month after serving 16 months. Forchion is now enrolled in a probation program that forces him to undergo regular urine testing. Note: Pot advocate can only see his daughter once a week. Source: Burlington County Times (NJ) Related Articles & Web Site: Legalize Marijuana Party County's 'Weedman' Released from State Prison 'Weedman' Protests Outside Courthouse Home Comment Email Register Recent Comments Help |
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| Comment #1 posted by John Markes on May 29, 2002 at 07:13:24 PT |
| I though it was illegal/unconstitutional tp forbid 1st amendment rights of speech in probations... [ Post Comment ] |
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