FIRST READ HOW IT BECAME ILLEGAL ( Racism ?)

  INTRODUCTION-written Sept. 1999 

My name is R. Edward Forchion - aka- "njweedman". I am a peaceful  down to earth guy, yet I am labeled a dangerous, unproductive pothead because I choose to smoke marijuana. The State of New Jersey is attempting to imprison me for 30 years, for knowing the truth about marijuana, and using it despite the US and NJ governments lie's, oppresion, and tyranny. The state of New Jersey has even taken my child from me for publicly telling the truth about marijuana. 

But once you get done reading this, as long as you read it with an open mind and not as a critic, you will find marijuana to be safe, economical, and not at all a dangerous drug. If you read this with the sole intention of bad mouthing me about it later, I advise you to open your eyes. Stop listening to the government officials. All they do is try to tell us what to do, this is just another way for them to control us, to take away our "God" given right Safety pursue life, liberty and happiness. (NJ-Constitutional Guaranteed-Article 1). The purpose of the U.S. "BILL OF RIGHTS" was to ensure individual liberty yet, the marijuana laws totally usurp that individuality.

After reading this, you might just realize why I took my time preparing this, why marijuana it  is my medicine of choice, and my sacrament. Just maybe, maybe you'll be able to understand why I must resist the attempt by the NJ State Government to imprison me with this new law, based on false facts, and lie's in regards to marijuana's classification as a schedule 1 drug with no "religious exemptions".

New Jersey Governor Whitman Signs Laws Increasing Drug Penalties September 1997 On August 4, New Jersey Governor Christine Todd Whitman (R) signed three bills that will stiffen sentencing for drug offenses and make it easier for prosecutors to seize the property of convicted drug dealers ("Whitman Signs Drug Laws," The New York Times, August 5, 1997, p. B1; RoyaRafei, "Whitman OKs Tough Anti-Drug Laws," Herald & News, August 5, 1997, p. B1; Ron Marisco, "Hopefuls warm up for gubernatorial bid," Star Ledger (Newark), August 5, 1997, p. 19). The Governor, facing a tough re-election challenge in November, signed the two bills into law at the PassaicCounty jail. One measure (A-2957) increases penalties for those who carry large amounts of marijuana and methamphetamine, making it a first-degree crime to manufacture, distribute or dispense 25 pounds or more of marijuana, 50 or more marijuana plants, 5 or more pounds of hashish, or more than 5 ounces of methamphetamine. The second measure (A-2958) allows the state to forfeit property of drug defendant even if the property cannot be traced to illegal activity. A third measure (A-2956) increases penalties for drug dealers who employ booby traps or other impediments to harm law enforcement. On August 8, Whitman signed legislation (A-2725) allowing for a 20-year prison sentence for a rape conviction if the victim is incapacitated by a so-called "date rape drug," such as Rohypnol®, or gamma hydroxybutyrate (GHB). GHB has been unregulated but is described by Andrew Weil, MD, as an "endogenous downer." It is also used by body builders because of its effect on the pituitary gland. GHB can produce intoxication (Andrew Weil, MD, From Chocolate to Morphine, Rev'd Ed., 1993, p. 77). The new law also makes possession of Rohypnol® or GHB an offense punishable by up to five years in prison and a $100,000 fine. Rohypnol® has been reported on by NewsBriefs extensively (See "Florida Lawmakers Try to Crack Down on 'Raves,' and Associated Drugs," NewsBriefs, May-June 1997; "Clinton Signs Legislation Increasing Penalties for Methamphetamine and Rohypnol®," NewsBriefs, November 1996). On the same day, Whitman also signed a bill (A-2712) that designates Ketamine, an anesthetic, known as "Special K," as a controlled dangerous substance. Andrew Weil, MD, describes Ketamine as a close relative of PCP, but notes that it is often diverted from medical supplies (Weil, p. 139). (News Release, "Governor Whitman Outlaws `Special K' Drug and Steps Up Penalties for Use of Rape Drugs," Office of the Governor, August 8, 1997; "Rape-Drug Bill is Signed," New York Times, August 9, 1997, p. A25; Melody Petersen, "Before an Election, Prisons Are Good. The Bills Come Later." The New York Times, August 10, 1997, p. 6).

<> <>"Three men arrested on Marijuana Charges" <>  By Clint Riley, Courier Post Staff Bellmawr - Authorities closed in Monday on three South Jersey men accused of having 45 pounds of marijuana shipped to Bellmawr from Arizona. Self-employed truck driver R. EDWARD FORCHION, Jr. 33 of the 500 block of Seigfried Avenue Chesilhurst and Russell Forchion, 28 of Union Street Glassboro, were arrested Monday along Route 42 in Bellmawr authorities said. Police and members of the Camden County Prosecutors Office "Narcotics Unit reportedly seized 45 pounds of marijuana from a vehicle in which the men were riding. The two are related but authorities did not dis-close how. A third man, ERIC POOLE, 39, of the fountainveiw Apartments, Blackwood was arrested almost simultaneously at an undisclosed business near the Bellmawr Industrial Park. The arrests were the culmination of a month long investigation into the groups activities by Police in Bellmawr and Phoenix, Arizona and a federal and state drug task force. Authorities allege Robert Edward Forchion went to Phoenix, where he also has a residence, to arrange for the shipment of marijuana to a Bellmawr business. The name of the business was not disclosed. All three men arrested Monday have been charged with possession with intent to distribute more than 25 pounds of marijuana and related drug charges, said GREG REINHART, spokesman for the Camden County Prosecutors Office. Robert Forchion was being held Monday at the Camden County Jail on $100,000 cash bail. Russell Forchion was being held at the same facility on $75,000 cash bail. While authorities said, drug charges are pending, Poole was being held at the same jail on municipal charges. The Forchions and Poole are the first individuals charged with distribution of more than 25 pounds of marijuana in Camden County since Gov. Christie Whitman made the offense a first degree crime in August. (SEE LEFT) If convicted of the charge they each face up to 20 years in prison and $300,000 in fines.

         TEN OTHER REASONS WHY MARIJUANA SHOULD BE LEGALIZED

Now, all of this information I have here is all based on books I've read and information I have gotten from the internet and other places, you never know who to believe so I am not saying I am 100% right. You can believe what you want, but here are the facts as I see them: 

1)THE DRUG TRADE WILL BE SO MUCH MORE SAFER:

  People always talk about how marijuana is a gateway drug, you start with pot then go onto other harder drugs like cocaine or heroin, which is totally false. The only reason why marijuana is a gateway drug is because it is an illegal drug. The teenage pot smoker goes to the neighborhood drug dealer to get his pot. Yet, that drug dealer also has crack, or speed, that he is trying to sell, do he'll offer it to the pot smoker. The kid remebers all of his (stupid) DARE lessons and other people telling him that marijuana is very bad, he realizes that's just a lie. They also told him that other drugs are also bad, that must all be lies too. So why not try these new drugs out. If people would actually educate the truth to kids and others instead of saying everything will kill you, and spreading lie's. Less people would go onto harder drugs. Sure, more kids would probably try marijuana if it were legal, but at least not as many kids would try coke, or PCP, or meth, etc. Kids usually know more drug dealers than they know people over 21 who would buy them alcohol anyway, so they are more likely to do illegal drugs than alcohol. All the drug dealers I know I met through marijuana which most  sold along with other drugs. To stop kids from interacting with drug dealers, it all starts with the legalization of marijuana. 

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2)LOSE THE BLACK MARKET ASSOCIATED WITH MARIJUANA:

 No drug lord would ever advocate legalization. Because that would destroy his control of marijuana. You never know what they put in their marijuana, it could be meth, PCP, other dangerous drugs, or common toxic household chemicals. When was the last time you heard about alcohol laced with heroin, or cocaine in cigarettes? Never, because the government and FDA control it. If the government officials  would open their eyes, and get their heads outta their ass's, they would legalize marijuana.  Sell it at one-tenth the street price, and instead of spending $11 billion+ a year trying to stop marijuana use, they could gain a lot more money taxing it, putting the money to other drug control programs. 

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3)WHAT GIVES OTHERS THE RIGHT TO TELL ME WHAT I CAN PUT IN MY BODY?:

 Whenever someone (especially the government) is getting on my case for smoking pot, a question goes through my mind, "Why are they so obsessed with whether someone who they don't know use's marijuana?" They try to tell me what to do. Will everything and everyone change in your life if marijuana were legal? NO. If heroin were legalized, would you immediately go out and get a fix? Is the law the only thing keeping your loved ones off crack? Alcohol is legal, are you an alcoholic spending your life in the gutter just becuase it's legal? If your answer is no, then why should it matter if someone else uses their leisure time to smoke a bowl, of marijuana? Why is it your DAMM business? 

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4)THE GOVERNMENT HAS NO GOOD REASON TO KEEP IT ILLEGAL: 

 The marijuana prohibition was enacted in 1937, just 3 years after the alcohol prohibition was lifted. The government pretty much passed the marijuana law because they needed another way to control people. After failing with the alcohol prohibition, they tried a new popular drug, marijuana, favorite of the Mexican workers and Black jazz musicians. At the time, people were glad to be ridden of the gang wars of the 1920's and 30's, so they went with most of what the government said. Now a days though, once again gangs are in the business of selling illegal drugs and settling territorial disputes with violence, just as they did during the 1930's. Instead of the white or Italian gangs of the 30's now we have black and hispanisck gangs, as well as the reminents of  gang's (mafia) started during the  alcohol prohibition!  We faced the same problems in the 30's. Didn't anyone notice that the drive-by shootings in Chicago stopped when they repealed alcohol prohibition? I always wondered why I had to take history class, my teachers said, "So we don't have the same violence that happened in the past repeat itself." The real problem today is not having learned from history, we are now repeating it with marijuana on a significantly greater scale. Today the marijuana prohibition cause far more crime than marijuana ever could. Largely because of gangs fighting over turf and cash, not becuase some-one smoking a bowl and going off.   What I personally think the main reason why marijuana isn't legal yet, is that the government has too big an ego to say that they were wrong. It was a huge mistake to place marijuana in the same scheduling classification as cocaine and herion etc.  All of this time  thinking we are the greatest country in the world has gone to our leaders heads, and when the USA is wrong, it will take a long time for them to admit it. Look how long it took to remove our troops from Vietnam. 

Related News Story - "Marijuana is not Dangerous"

5)POTHEADS ARE TOO PEACEFUL TO BE PUT IN JAIL:

 If marijuana is to never be legalized, the least we should do is decriminalize it. I don't see how anyone can be against decriminalization. Decriminalize means instead of being treated like a criminal for smoking pot, you're treated as someone who has moderately broken the law. You would only get a ticket, like a traffic ticket, or a ticket for not having your dog on a leash, instead of being arrested. The average adult who gets caught with marijuana serves a couple months in jail and a hefty fine (around $1000), and if that doesn't seem too bad. Repeat offenders get up to five years in prison, to where as rapists, or someone charged with manslaughter only serves around a year. Do you really think smoking a joint is worse than raping or killing someone? In 1997, 695,200 people were arrested for marijuana offenses. 87% of these arrests were for simple possesion of a small amount (from a joint to an ounce). The other 13% was for selling/manufacturing/growing. Statistics indicate that one marijuana smoker is arrested every 45 seconds in the United States. So instead of trying to capture murderers and rapists, police are spending time and money on capturing peaceful marijuana smokers. Around 40,000 Americans are currently incarcerated for marijuana violations. Yet, every year marijuana use is increasing steadily. So arrests are doing nothing except ruining otherwise normal, fun filled lives. Decriminalizing, then, is a great idea. Because of the efforts of groups like NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) marijuana is decriminalized in eleven states including California, Colorado, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, and Oregon. But by keeping it illegal, America is wasting police resources, clogging courts, filling costly and scarce jail space, and needlessly wrecking the lives and careers of genuinely good citizens. According to government figures, nearly 70 million Americans have tried marijuana at least once, 18 million have used it in the last year, and 10 million are regular pot smokers. The vast majority of these individuals are otherwise law-abiding citizens who work hard, raise families, and contribute to their communities. They are not part of the crime problem, and should not be treated like criminals. 

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6)THE HEALTH BENEFITS:

 Now I know this issue is not that important to many potheads, but everyday countless chronic pain suffer's, glaucoma victims and chemotherapy patients are needlessly suffering from their diseases. Marijuana cures none of this, but it helps with nausea and makes it a lot less painless. 10-20% of harmful presription drugs can be replaced by marijuana, a much safer product. Take a look at the following chart. DEATHS IN USA PER YEAR 

-There were 75 deaths involving marijuana in 1997, and all they prove is that the person was high on marijuana while their death occured. Their deaths have been from anything such as old age, heart attack, cancer (marijuana helps people get through chemotherapy but it doesn't stop the cancer). Not one person has EVER died as a direct result of smoking marijuana. While over 2000 people die each year from the toxic effects of asprin, and asprin is legal. It has been proven that marijuana is safer than asprin. The DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency) claims to have done tens of thousands of tests and studies on marijuana that shows it is a very harmful and addictive drug, and claims it has no medical value. Their facts are usually based on giving an animal more than an average human would ever take in their lives. In one instance, to prove that marijuana smoke caused lung damage, they captured a group of monkeys out in the wild, and practically suffocated them in marijuana smoke for a week straight. The monkeys did survive, but had health problems, and they used this to say marijuana causes lung cancer and more. Despite all of their studies, independant pharmacists not under the control of the government have done test claiming the exact opposite of everything the DEA says. You can believe whoever you want, but the American people have shown who they believe in the following surveys: 

Q. Do you think it would be a good idea or bad idea to legalize marijuana to releive pain and for other medical purposes if prescribed by a doctor? 

Q. Thinking about medical uses of marijuana, would you favor or oppose making marijuana legally available for medical uses where it has been proven effective for treating a problem? 

Q. People who find that marijuana is effective for their medical needs, like treating glaucoma and relieving nausea from chemotherapy, should be able to use it legally. 

The following information is taken from 1001 randomly chosen registered voters who took several surveys put together by the American Civil Liberties Union in Dayton, Ohio and Baltimore, Maryland between February 28 and April 5, 1995. The DEA also claims that medical marijuana, if used by HIV patients, would have them progress to full blown AIDS twice as fast as non-smokers. Why then, have many AIDS activists groups been protesting for the legalization of medical marijuana since the beginning of the decade? Because it helps AIDS patients deal with the pain, they would like to go through this as peacefully as possible. You may have heard about Arizona and California recently legalizing marijuana for medical purposes, to be only prescribed by a doctor. Well, more recently Oregon, California,Arizona, Maine, Washington D.C., Nevada, Alaska, and Washington St., have also passed laws for medical marijuana. 

What's really funny though is the fact that in 1996 Gen Mcaffery commissioned the Institute of Medicine (IOM) to do a study on marijuana. The IOM released a report on March 18th, 1999 titled "Marijuana as a Medicine" which debunked almost every myth the DEA and government official's including MCcaffery have presented as fact for years. The IOM report prove's marijuana is not a schedule 1 drug. 

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7)LEARN FROM THE DUTCH:

 In the Netherlands, marijuana is sold in government regulated corner coffee shops everywhere. Amsterdam, the capital, is known as one of the most peaceful places in the world. People think if marijuana were legalized, then anyone and everyone would start doing it. Well, not everyone is smoking cigarettes and drunk off alcohol. In the 1970's three-fourths of all Americans smoked tobacco, now it's down to only one out of every four Americans. Why? Over the last decade, America has learned that education and the truth is the most effective way to discourage tobacco use. Yet, America fails to apply these lessons to the marijuana policy. By stubbornly defining all marijuana smoking as criminal, including that which involves people smoking in the privacy of their own homes. Check out these statistics: 

                                    (Teenagers 12 and older):

 TRIED POT AT LEAST ONCE HOLLAND: 15.6% USA: 20.9%
 SMOKED IN LAST YEAR HOLLAND: 4.7% USA: 9%
 SMOKED IN LAST MONTH HOLLAND: 2.5% USA: 5% 

DUTCH - DRUG POLICY (click here)

8)HEMP, THE SUPER PLANT Hemp,:

 the plant marijuana comes from, has over 50,000 different uses including making paper, textiles, feuls, and food. Yet all this cannot be used because of the marijuana prohibition. Just before hemp was prohibited, a machine was invented to make hemp fibers easier to process out of the plant, which would have made hemp products eaisier to manufacture. And ever since then the lumber, gas, tobacco, and alcohol industries have worked together to keep marijuana and hemp illegal. Cultivation of hemp for its fibers were used since the birth of the United States. It was not recognized as an intoxicant until the 1920's. 

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9)STOP THE LIES:

 Marijuana is not addictive. People can become "psychologically dependant" as doctors term it(fienders as stoners term it). People can also become "psychologically dependant" to food and sex. Three things which aren't harmful in NORMAL doses, yet you crave it more and more. Also, about 10% of Americans have an "addictive" personality. In which they can become addicted to practically everything from poptarts, to marijuana, to work. That is just them and their personalities, they can't blame the thing they are addicted to. Obese people can't blame the food, people addicted to sex can't blame their genitals. So why should an addict who is addicted to pot blame marijuana. A study done at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA) indicates that heavy marijuana smokers show less evidence of lung injury than tobacco smokers. The myth of "one marijuana joint equals ten cigarettes" no longer holds up because it has been proven wrong over and over again. Even if it were true, cigarettes are still worse because the average cigarette smoker who has been smoking for a while, smokes on average, a pack a day. To where as the average marijuana smoker does not smoke twenty joints in a day, only around a few joints a week or less. So it is not even close to as harmful as they say it is. 

Stop the lie's 

10)(THE MOST IMPORTANT REASON) SO I CAN GET MELLOW:

 The whole reason I wrote this is so I can open up eyes, so we can get melow. I just can't wait for the day when I can walk down the street with a joint in my mouth, getting mellow. Or when you drive down the road, you can look in people's front yards and see hemp plants and bud gardens growing ever which way. I just want to sit back in my house, pack a bong, and toke up without having to worry about being hassled by a no good cop thinking that he is helping me by throwing me in a cage.! 

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                               THE BAD SIDE : 

Like anything, Marijuana is not perfect. It is said to be one of the safest know plants. A test was done on a laboratory mouse to see how much marijuana it would take to kill someone. By the studies, it would take someone 40,000 times as much as what is considered the normal dose to overdose on pot). Yet, too much of it, and you will experience some problems. Some people may get, Amotivational Syndrome, the first time I heard this, I thought it was just another part of the prohibiton propaganda, like the gateway theory, but then I realized that this is something that really does affect some teenagers and new user's. It seems to have little effect on adults or long time user's, but for adolescents, it seems to happen to some. It never happened to me. 

A few things will happen while someone is stoned. For instance, you will have a dry mouth, prepare for it by having a drink around. You might get red eyes, and people will see you and know you're stoned (just tell them you are tired). You will get hungry. If you are on a diet, and trying to lose weight, this might not be the drug for you. After your high is over (a few hours after the toking up) you will become extremely tired and lazy, and probably won't want to do too much more the rest of the day. After smoking for a while, a person will feel a lot lazier if not responsible enough with it. Make sure to do it only in comfortable places, not wherever, whenever. 

The biggest saftey concern is who you get it from. Make sure you trust who you get it from because you never know if someone is going to lace it with PCP or cocaine. This can be harmful, and can be corrected with the LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. One of the reason's why legalization hasn't happened yet is because not enough people have stood together as a whole yet, to say: THIS IS STUPID!!! -  I WANT CANNABIS HEMP LEGAL!!!  - FOR PRODUCTS, FOR MEDICINE, FOR FOOD, FOR FUN! --FOR GOODNESS SAKE!, ISN'T THAT WHAT LIFE'S ABOUT!?!

To make legalization become a reality, we need more supporters. Not just people that smoke it, but people that take a stand for what they believe in. That's what I've been doing the last couple of years, my method are different, my approach is not the passive approach of most legalizer's. In fact many of the traditional longtime reform organizations have shunned away from me. I'm just one person who standing up from all of us no matter what. I'm just one of many individual activist who fight on regardless of official support or not.  Every person makes us that much stronger, our voices that much louder. The more people supporting this, the harder it will be for people to say, "That's a stupid idea," or, "Nobody believes that." Join the fight, break apart from the old lazy stoner stereotype and get active. 
 

      NJ-State Police Trooper-Patrick Thornton Badge # 5411

      POLICE ABUSE -

Here are some books and websites you should check out, I got most of my information from these:

http://www.norml.org - National Orgainization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws 
Great place, these people and their hard work are the reason why marijuana has been decriminalized in 11 states. 
http://www.hyperreal.com - Good site with information on pretty much all drugs, and the rave culture. 
http://www.marijuananews.com - Works closely with NORML, up to date news on the war on drugs 
http://www.yahooka.com - The Guide to Marijuana on the Internet Anything you want to know about marijuana, but can't find, go here, you'll find it. 

BOOKS: 

Marijuana Reconsidered by Lester Grinspoon Marijuana Laws: A Need to Reform by Roger Allan Glasgow Marijuana Myths: Marijuana Facts by Lynn Zimmer PHD & John P. Morgan MD 

"There are 100,000 total marijuana smokers in the US, and most are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their Satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage. This marijuana causes white women to seek relations with Negroes, entertainers and any others." -Harry Anslinger, U.S. Commissioner of Narcotics, testifying to Congress on why marijuana should be made illegal, 1937. (Marijuana Tax Act, signed Aug. 2 1937; effective Oct. 1, 1937.) 

"The prestige of government has undoubtedly been lowered considerably by the Prohibition law. For nothing is more destructive of respect for the government and the law of the land than passing laws which cannot be enforced. It is an open secret that the dangerous increase of crime in this country is closely connected with this." -Albert Einstien, My First Impression of the U.S.A., 1921 

"We in this country have to make up our minds -- -- we cannot have it both ways: we cannot be both drug-free and free." -Lester Grinspoon, M.D., Harvard Medical School, Co-author Marijuana, The Forbidden Medicine, Marijuana Reconsidered, etc.