Jailed 'N.J. Weedman' Gets to Smoke Pot 10 Days Per Month
Ed Forchion -- who made headlines for his unsuccessful attempt to legally change his name to NJWeedman.com -- finally scored a court win. Soon, he'll score some pot, too.
Although Forchion was convicted of pot possession in New Jersey, he recently received court approval to spend 10 days every month in California to -- you guessed it -- smoke medical marijuana, according to The Trentonian.
The process is called a medical furlough.
Inmate Furloughs
Under the inmate furlough program, the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBP) allows inmates who meet certain requirements to be temporarily released from custody under carefully prescribed conditions, according to the FBP.
A furlough isn't an entitlement, a reward for good behavior, or a way to shorten a criminal sentence. It's just a release from custody -- for up to 30 days -- for a specific purpose, including to:
- be present during family emergencies or crises, or in other urgent situations;
- participate in an educational, social, religious, or civic activity;
- assist with release planning;
- establish or re-establish family and community ties;
- comply with legal requests (for example, make court appearances);
- training (such as special training or work assignments);
- participate in community service (including special training courses or institution work assignments);
- receive medical care; and
- transfer to certain facilities.
Medical Care Furlough
If you guessed (or joked) that NJWeedman's furlough was granted for recreational purposes, get ready to feel like an insensitive jerk: Forchion is a cancer patient.
Though it's no secret the man has an insatiable passion for the green bud, his furlough purpose is medical -- that is, to obtain medical marijuana. THC and marijuana have long been used by cancer and AIDS patients for a slew of purposes, ranging from pain relief to inhibiting tumor growth.
An inmate can obtain a furlough to receive necessary medical, surgical, psychiatric, or dental treatment not otherwise available. Forchion's prison isn't in the business of doling out medical marijuana, so he needed a furlough.
But why California, you implore? Although New Jersey has legalized the use of medical marijuana, Forchion only has a California medical marijuana license. That means he can only get his medicine in California.
Here's hoping Forchion steers clear of pot-stealing ninjas during his sojourn in California.
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Related Resources:
- NJ man in jail for marijuana allowed to leave once a month to go smoke (United Press International)
- Accidental Pot Grower, 73, Gets Vt.'s 1st Marijuana Ticket (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- City Repays Woman After Cops Ruined Her Medical Marijuana Plants (FindLaw's Legally Weird)
- Emergency: Oakland Has Run Out of Medical Marijuana (FindLaw's Legally Weird)