All in all, I rate the event a success, even though it was far from perfect,  while not attracting nearly the amount of citizens I
expected to show, the one's that did show I do really appreciate, and hope they will now get involved in the marijuana
legalization political movement, as well as the democratic election process and pass it along to their friends. Plus at least one
newspaper did cover the event. The Courier Post! So at least 250,000 people will see I'm running for office again.
 
 

         I arrived at the location at about 2:45 pm. I have a very bad back. I have had several operations, and right now I'm
suffering from a spinal infection  from the Feb. 12, 1999 operation. I was hospitalize because of this from March 24,- April
9th. I'm in extreme pain a lot, currently I'm using a lot of marijuana , as well as percocet, flexaril, and a IV drug called
Rosthirine/ceftriaxone. I'm disabled, and have been since Jan. 5 1997 as a result of a serious car accident . When I arrived I drove my van around to the stage area via the service road. Camden County Park policeman "D.TORRES" stopped me. After he took into consideration  my physical condition which was plainly apparent by the bulky brace I wear. He allowed me to drop my boxes and return the van to the parking lot.

     By 3 pm I was set-up and conversing with all the individuals as they arrived. John Galt from (Web Station #19) and
Mark Dixon from (cures-not-wars.org) two fellow marijuana activist and plaintiff's on Attorney Larry Hirsch's Federal
Class action lawsuit, were present and gave a very good lengthy speeches, advocating to these  individuals to get involved in
the process. To participate in the election/democratic process. As we were really getting into the picnic, and expressing
ourselves, two superior officers of Camden County Park Police officers arrived. These two officers had very different
attitudes about the CONSTITUTION and what the first amendment is all about,  gave orders that we were not allowed to
distribute literature, Or use the small bullhorn I brought along. They said, I had to have a permit. I didn't need to have a permit
to have a picnic, and that is what it was. I even brought along my little Barbecue grill and made hot-dogs. I believed I should
be allowed to exchange literature, because this is protected by the first amendment. These guy's were really acting like they
wanted to arrest me.  I decided I didn't want to get attacked, like I was by NJ State Trooper Patrick Thornton badge #5411,
last May19 on the steps of the Gloucester Township Municipal building. So I ceded, again what I wanted was positive media
attention, not arrests. This literature was vital to our picnic, our speech's where set-up to coincide with the prearranged
literature we had brought with us.. I brought voter registration forms, jury power & instruction literature from the (FIJA) Fully
informed Jury Association.   I wasn't in any kind of condition physically to challenge the "GESTAPO", I physically couldn't be
jailed now with all the medical attention I so desperately  need, Camden County jail is a filthy facility run with less cleanliness
than the County (DOG) pound, and I wanted to have a peaceful assembly not a arrest fest. So we just freewheeled it with
the conversations we were having, and left the literature in boxes.  I announce my intention to run for Camden County
Freeholder again, as well as my thinking on the idea of instead running for State assembly.  Other individuals helped out
by telling their marijuana horror stories.  Most of us were smoking, Mr. Lounsberry the reporter from the Courier Post who
showed up probably got a contact high there was so much marijuana smoke. Then at 4:10 pm the two "Gestapo" informed us
that several of our cars were parked in areas they didn't want us in and stated they were going to start towing, they
conveniently did this at this time I believe to delay or interfere with our planned 420 pm light up. It work at little, we smoked
a little late-. No big deal for me I'm a pot head I'm late all the time.

          So we fired up at 4:35 pm. instead, at one point we got into a large circle (all 100 of us) to keep the to "GESTAPO"
officers from seeing my BONG which I repeatedly packed and passed around the inside of the circle. At the same time I
was taking donations from the supporters. Every-one who gave $15-20.00 I gave a shirt. I use the donations people give me
support my campaign. I had raised close to $200.00 this day, I'm disabled and can't work , and I can't justify using my
families tight household money to run this shoestring campaign.   Finally they interrupted us again with threats of calling in a
drug dog. The Chief who I had talked to before at other events was getting all puffy, and making threats so I decided to end
it. I didn't want others to be arrested and since they had already seriously hampered the event I suggested to everyone to call
it quits at about 6:00 pm. I didn't want there to be multiple arrest, which there would have been had they called in the dogs.
Everybody had weed. The courier post was there so at least 300,000 will read about it. That's really what I wanted some
media attention.

       One gentleman who I really wish I had gotten his name, or a way of contacting him, brought some really nice tasting bud.
This bud was very sweet a had a "MEGA EUPHORIA" that lasted well over 4 hours, and completely changed my high from
the marijuana I brought along, this new and different marijuana brought in by this gentleman I would love to have a supply for
my medical needs.  The gentleman said,  "he grew it and it was a variety of kush ". It was some of the best weed I've had in a
long time. At onetime before my arrest I called myself a weed conoseuir. At times I was the tester when there was a question
of quality.  After the arrest most of the connections I knew shunned me out of fear of entrapment. This is a valid fear, the drug
warriors count on and create snitch's. I hope I run into him again (Hey dude- if your reading this, e-mail me,  I like your
medicine). I'd give him the Best Pot Award of the 2nd Annual Camden County Smoke-out!

     As I said before Officer Torres noting my disability allowed me to drive my van along the service road to unload, it was
clear I'm not able to carry anything. let alone hump it a couple hundred yards. Well the two "Gestapo" officers forbid me from
bringing up my van, they said, " get some of your cohorts to help you". Well what happened next was really a shocker, even
to me. I asked a few people to help me clean up the area , I'm not a litter bug, several helped it took all of 3 minutes. Then
these same guy's all grabbed my boxes of literature, my books, and my box of shirts. A couple of the females grabbed the
flag and a few smaller items. I had 50 assorted shirts in that box. 10 were from last year. A supporter had sent me a money
order for $300.00 a couple of days back, so I went to my printer who has been printing my shirts for the last year and got 4
dozen shirts just yesterday Friday (Apr. 23rd).

I had raised two hundred dollars and kept in the box., (which in hind site was dumb). Then you guessed it! As we were walking over to the parking area the "DICK HEADS" had ordered us to relocate too, the guy's carrying the shirts started walking fast, I didn't want to think they were stealing my shirts, at first because they had signed my petition.  I had talked to them just recently.  They were also locals.  I'm in a full body brace with a leg attachment. I can't run. I couldn't stop them,  they jumped into their car and started driving off. I couldn't have physically stopped them even if I tried, and the others while not trying to physically stop them  did get their license plate #. I happy about that. The car was a late model -Maroon Nissan Maxima, with New Jersey License plate #  YE519W.

I filed a complaint with Officer Torres. I really believe he was disappointed that something like that had happened to me.. Especially since he had allowed me to bring my things to the stage area with my van, and then his superiors prevented me from retrieving them with my van. Thus forcing me to ask these guy's for help in the first place. Had the "DICK HEADS" not been such hard asses I would never been in the situation where something like that could have occurred.  He Officer Torres, broadcast the description of the car and took a report. I am going to follow through with this monday, I want to see these guy's in court. Those shirts represented a lot of donation money to me. Some people in the past have donated as much as $50.00  just to help me out with "our cause" -the shirt then is given as a token of my appreciation. I use these shirts to raise cash instead of hurting my family, sometimes I get individuals to take them to concerts or flea markets for me as well.  Those 50 shirts I had planned to raise $1000.00 with them, and then flip the money by buying $1000.00 worth of shirts. This $1000.00 would then have been enough to start selling them on the Legalize Marijuana concert tours. Last year at Wilmer's Park MD, I sold $1,700.00 worth of shirts. At the 4th of July hemp coalition festival protest at lafayette park across from the WHITE HOUSE in Washington D.C. Not only was I a guess speaker I sold $800.00 worth of shirts.

These guy's kind of hurt me good, this was my first batch of shirts for the new year/campaign, from these I didn't need anymore money.  I can't work. I can't sell/provide marijuana, so I use the shirts to sell the idea of marijuana. Well I'm going to get the owner of that car to appear in court. I will malso file a civil suit to recover the potential earnings/donations that I would have generated with 50 shirts. This never would have happened, had these two superior officers shown some compassion as officer Torres had. Although I'm supposed to have the backing of the first amendment behind me, as all americans are guaranteed, but because of my politically incorrect stance on the "legalization" of marijuana mine have been constantly trashed by some police officers. This to me is just another example. If I had been talking about something with no political baggage it would have been a problem. I would have been able to drop off and pick-up my belongings with my van. I've been coming to Wiggins Park for years, I've smoked plenty of joints right there, I like the riverside view of Philadelphia. I've seen plenty of people drive along the service area and drop of things to heavy to carry all the way from the parking lot. Last year the Camden County Freeholders and the Battleship commission, organizers of the bring the New Jersey to Camden where allowed to pass out literature I still have some. And they drove there props up to the stage area.
 

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For more information click below:
Ed Forchion
THE "LEGALIZE MARIJUANA PARTY"
  

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