Convention Diary: Where there is smoke, there is the Shadow Convention

Wednesday, August 02, 2000

By Dennis Roddy, Post-Gazette Staff Writer 

PHILADELPHIA -- In a decision that has put police and pizza delivery men equally on alert, members of the Legalize Marijuana Party intend to gather today at the Liberty Bell, light up a liberty bowl, and rally behind their candidate for Congress, who, happily, has made bail.

Plans for today's rally were announced by Edward "NJWeedman" Forchion, who hopes to unseat incumbent Democrat Robert Andrews in New Jersey's First Congressional District. He also hopes to be acquitted on charges stemming from the seizure of 40 pounds of top-grade cannabis last year, but he preferred to focus on politics yesterday and, already sounding like a congressman, declined to answer some questions on the advice of his attorney.

Forchion was among 1,200 people who attended yesterday's second day of the "Shadow Convention" at the University of Pennsylvania, across town from the equally exotic but more expensive Republican Convention.

The brainchild of a coalition of groups distressed that their issues -- poverty, campaign reform and drug laws -- weren't being discussed this year, the Shadow Convention organized itself and became an almost obligatory stop for mainstream politicians eager to show that they truly care about being photographed alongside young people with backpacks.

Wedged between the opening day and the day devoted for discussion of the widening gap between rich and poor, the session on ending the drug war and decriminalizing dope became a tricky venue for speakers. Jesse Jackson, a favorite lounge act among liberals, gave a deeply inspiring speech about nothing in particular, then led the crowd in a chant that sounded what should have been a discordant note.

"I am somebody," Jackson chanted.

"I am somebody," the crowd chanted back.

So far, so good.

"Down with dope," Jackson chanted.

"Down with dope," the crowd chanted back.

"Up with hope," Jackson rhymed.

"Up with hope," the crowd rhymed back.

But the damage was done. Operating on reflex, Jackson had badmouthed dope and inadvertently revealed the ideological chasm between people who are at the Shadow Convention because it is fashionable, and those who are there because the police wouldn't think to look for them on a university campus.

I noticed the young woman sitting beside me, with a sign saying "Zero Tolerance Makes Zero Sense." Wasn't she there to advocate against criminal anti-drug laws, I asked her.

"Yeah, that's what it is today." 

Well, why was she joining in a "down with dope" chant?

"I don't want to be quoted," she sneered and turned away. It was then that I noticed a careful manicure, perfect hair and a diamond engagement ring large enough to block a drain. It's a safe bet this kid has never had her mouth around a bong.

Attendees for whom "Zig-Zag" does not mean a change in directions were more forthcoming.

"I think it's hard for these ministers to make that turnaround," said a bearded, wizened convention-goer named Laurie Cameron. I asked Cameron what organization he represented.

"I'm not with any group. I'm just an old pot head," he explained.

Forchion, the congressional candidate of the cannabis bloc, was handing out campaign literature in the hallway between sessions. He stood near stacks of prefabricated convention signs reading "Educate, Don't Incarcerate," "Drug Abuse Is Bad/The Drug War Is Worse," and the fetchingly blunt, "Keep Your Laws Out of My Urine."

"This'll be the third race I was in," Forchion said. He ran for congress once before. "I didn't come in last, either. I got about 3,000 votes," he said. He got the same number of votes when he ran for the New Jersey assembly.

If Forchion can only find all these people, somewhere in the marshlands of New Jersey, there is at least one grand old party waiting to happen.

Black Candidate 'Lights Up' for Liberty

By: Linn Washington, Jr.
NNPA News Wire
http://www.BlackPressUSA.com

8/4/00 10:08:44 AM - PHILADELPHIA (NNPA) -- New Jersey Congressional candidate Edward Forchion stood in front of the Liberty Bell in downtown Philadelphia on the third day of the Republican National Convention with a bullhorn in one hand and a marijuana joint in the other as city and federal police watched. 

Forchion, an African-American, lit the joint and took a puff, sparking a 'smoke-out' as others joining his demonstration for the legalization of marijuana began lighting various sized marijuana joints, sending streams of the illegal substance drifting into the afternoon sky above the Liberty Bell Pavilion. 

While many in the small 'smoke-out' crowd of two dozen were there to get high in defiance of authority, Forchion had another purpose. Forchion choose the Liberty Bell specifically as a place to get arrested so he can take is legalization campaign into federal court and challenge the law. He has three cases currently pending in New Jersey State courts for smoking in state capital and a county court house. 

"Politics is the only reason marijuana is illegal in America. Politicians are afraid to admit they made a mistake in outlawing it because there is no proof of the professed dangers. Marijuana is legal in Holland," said Forchion who failed in his bid for arrest when police just watched without enforcing the law. 

Although Forchion's position seems kooky on the surface, there is compelling yet little known proof on his side. For example, Republican President Richard Nixon's Marijuana Commission reported in 1972 that the substance does not cause the proclaimed medical and criminal problems. Nixon ignored his commission's recommendation to decriminalize marijuana. 

"I believe George W. Bush has smoked marijuana and inhaled," Forchion said referencing President Clinton's admission of smoking marijuana but not inhaling. "Bush admits he partied and that is a code word for smoking." 

Forchion admits, "getting high" on occasion but says his main use of marijuana is medical and spiritual. He suffers from chronic back from a spinal injury two years ago and says marijuana helps him more than prescription pain medicines without any side effects. 

Forchion garnered 3,000 votes in a bid for the New Jersey State Legislature a few years ago. He says supporters from that race have contributed to his bid for NJ's 1st Congressional District race. These contributions enabled him to run commercials on MTV and CNN aired on New Jersey cable TV stations during the week of the Republican Convention. 

When police failed to arrest Forchion, he admitted that he didn't know how to end the 'smoke-out' because he anticipated an arrest. 

"We stood here, we smoked marijuana and we did not get arrested. I guess we have a right to regulate our own bodies without government interference," said Forchion who ironically took his demonstrators to Philadelphia's main police station were hundreds of others were demanding release of jail protestors. Ed's Legalize Marijuana Party website is located at: http://www.tlmp.org 
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August 9, 2000 - Philadelphia Weekly -page 18 - www.brainsoap.com 
BURNING ISSUE: Why didn't cops arrest Edward Forchion for his public toking?

----> Picture

Reefer Madness
Cops watch as political candidate fires up a big doobie.

By Linn Washington Jr

New Jersey Congressional candidated Edward Forchion stood in front of the Liberty Bell in downtown Philadelphia last Wednesday with bullhorn in one hand, a joint in the other and cops staring into his face.
Forchion lit the joint and took a deep hit, sparking a "smoke-out"as others joining his demonstration for the legalization of marijuana began lighting various-sized joints themselves, sending streams of the illegal weed's scent dirfting into the late afternoon sky above the Liberty Bell Pavilion.

While some in the small "smoke-out"crowd of two dozen were there to get high in defiance of authority, Forchion had another purpose.  He specifically chose the Liberty Bell as a site to arrested in order to take his legalization campaign into federal court.  He wants to use the courts as aforum to challenge laws banning marijuana, hoping juries will accept his constitutional arguments and jullify the laws.

Forchion, a candidate for New Jersey's 1st Congressional District seat on the Legalize Marijuana Party, has three cases currently pending in New Jersey state courts.  He is fighting arrests for smoking in public places, like the state capital buliding in Trenton and the Burlington County courthouse.

"Politics is the only reason marijuana is illegal in America.  Politicains are afraid to admit they makde a mistake in outlawing it because there is no proof of the professed dangers," says Forchion.

A former truck driver, Forchion 36, failed in his bid for a dramatic arrest last week when city and federal police just watched without enforcing the law.

"I believe George W. Bush has smoked marijuana and inhaled," Forchion proclaimed, referncing President Clinton's infamous statement about his own personal use.  "Bush admits he partied, and that is a code word for smoking.

Although Forchion's position mayn seem kooky on the surface, there is compelllin yet little-know evidence on his side.  For example, Republican President Richard Nixon appointed a commission to study marijuana, chaired by former Pennsylvania governor.  The 1972 report by Nixon's commision declared that marijuana does not cause the proclaimed medical and criminal problelms.  Nixon's ignored his commission's recommendation to decrimalize marijuana and permit its use by adults with similar restictiosn as alcohol.  Forchion admits to "getting high" on occasion but says him main use of marijuana is medicianl and spiritual.  He suffers fro chronic back pain from a spinal injury and says amrijuana helps him more than prescription pain drugs. 

A prime cxample of pot policy politics, Forchion argues, is the refusal of federal officials to reclassify marijuana under federal Drug Enforecment Administration regulations.  Marijuana is currently on the DEA's Schedule I with PCP instead of Schedule ll with drugs like cocaine.  An administrative reclassification to lower schedule would permit the medicinal use of marijuana while still keeping it illegal for recreational use.  

A 1975 federal reoprt detailed legitimate medical uses of marijuana, like relief for cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. In 1988, the DEA's cheif administrative law judge issued a ruling permitting amedicinal use of marijuana, describing it as "one of the safest therapeuticlall active substaneces known to man."  The DEA's director angirly rejected the recommendationas "irresponsible."

Forchion thinks it is particualy "cruel" for officials to deny marijuana to persons suffering nedical problems that can be eased by marijuana.  So does Dawn Acero, how suffers severe never danage and has HIV.  "My doctor told me to smoke marijuana because it is better than prescripiton alternative to a joing. I already take 20 pills a day," says Acero, who attended Forchio's demonstration.  "Marijuana relieves the pain in my legs and it helps me eat."

Other views expressed at the "smoke-out" included advocary of increased use of industrial hemp (a botanical cousin of marijuana) for fuel and food, and decreased enforcement of marijuana laws.

"This country is absolutely ridculous," says suburban high school studend Evan Richmond, who awaits tril following an arrest for holding a marijuana pipe.  "I have 1200 on my SAT's, I have 3.5 GPA, I play football and base ball.  This is nonsense!"

Ed Forchion began his puplic legalisation campaign after a 1997 arrest in which police found a small amount of pot in his coat pocket during a traffic stop of his tractor trailer.  The marijuana arrest triggered a two year suspension of his driver's license.  The suspension cost him his livlihood as a truck driver, and the loss of income cost him his house.  Forchion first ran for Congress in 1998.  Last year, he made an unsuccesful bid for the New Jersey Legislature in the 8th District covering parts of Camden and Burlington counties.  He says he garnered 3,000 votes in that House race.  "I ran on a shoestring," Forchion says.  "If I had some money, I could do better."  He says supporters from that legislative race have contributed to his congressioanal bid.  These contributions enabled him to run commercials on MTV and CNN aired in Philadelphia during the Republican Convention.

"I know my voters don't wathc Philly cable stations, but I wanted to make a point with people attending the Republican Convention who were wathcing TV in their hotel rooms.  I recived a few emails.

Forchion uses the Internet to spread his legalization message and futher his congressional campaign.  "I opened my latest Web site{http://www.tlmp.org} four months ago and already have 20,000 hits," he said.

After finshing his joint at the "smoke-out" and failing to provoke arrest, Forchion admitted that he didn't know how to end his demonstration.  He expected police to haul him away instead of just asking a few questions.

"We stood here, we smoked marijuana and we did not get arrested.  I guess we have a right to requlate our own bodies without governament interference,"  Forchion said, thanking cherring participants.

After failing to get arrested, Forchion took his demonstrators to the Roundhouse where hundres of other were demanding release of protesters jailed during last Tuesday's chaotic demonstrations in Center City.
 
 
 

Other Ed Forchion news stories - http://www.tlmp.org/new_stories.htm