Legalize Marijuana Party | |
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| Spokesperson | Ed Forchion |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Ideology | Cannabis legalization |
| National affiliation | Legal Marijuana Now |
The Legalize Marijuana Party is a political third party in the U.S. stateofNew Jersey established in 1998 by Edward Forchion to protest cannabis prohibition.[1][2]
Forchion was nominated by petition to run for Governor of New Jersey in 2005. He received 9,137 votes. While Forchion was campaigning for governor, his home in Pemberton Township was vandalized, August 25, during the night by someone who spray-painted a 6-foot cross together with the words “Get Jesus.” Burlington County police investigated the incident, calling it a hate crime because Forchion is a person of color. But Forchion told reporters that he thought he had been targeted because of his Rastafari religious beliefs, not because he is African American.[3]
| Year | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Edward Forchion | 9,137 | 0.4% |
Forchion ran for Camden County Freeholder in 1999, and Burlington County Freeholder in 2000. In a bid for Burlington County Freeholder in 2004, Forchion got 2,932 votes.[4][5][6]
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1999 | NJ General Assembly 8 | Edward Forchion | 659 | 1.2% |
| 2011 | NJ General Assembly 8 | Edward Forchion | 1,653 | 1.9% |
| Year | Office | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | US Representative 1 | Edward Forchion | 1,257[7] | 1.0% |
| 2000 | US Representative 1 | Edward Forchion | 1,959[8] | 0.9% |
| 2006 | US Senator | Edward Forchion | 11,593 | 0.5% |
| 2012 | US Representative 3 | Edward Forchion | 1,956[9] | 0.6% |
| 2014 | US Representative 12 | Don Dezarn | 1,330[10] | 0.9% |
| 2016 | US Representative 12 | Edward Forchion | 6,094[11] | 2.1% |
In 2014, Forchion, otherwise known as NJWeedman,[12] filed a lawsuit in an attempt to get onto the ballot in New Jersey's 3rd congressional district. A judge dismissed the lawsuit.[13][14][15][16]
Marijuana activist Ed Forchion says his family woke up yesterday morning to find someone had spray-painted a 6-foot cross on the side of his house with the words "Get Jesus." Police are investigating the incident as an apparent hate crime. Forchion, who once tried to have his name changed to NJ Weedman, said his wife and children discovered the cross and message at 7 a.m. on the garage door of their Hanover Boulevard home. First Assistant Burlington County Prosecutor Ray Milavsky said police are investigating the incident as a bias crime, which is defined as one in which a victim is targeted because of race, religion, sexual orientation or national origin. Forchion, who is black, said he does not view the cross as a racial threat. Instead, he said he sees it as a protest against his religion. Forchion is a follower of Rastafarianism, a religious movement that arose in Jamaica in the 1950s. Followers use marijuana as a sacrament.
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