ONE MORE CHANCE TO CHANGE HIS NAME

TRENTON - A Superior Court judge will again decide whether marijuana
legalization advocate Ed Forchion should be allowed to change his name to
njweedman com.

An appeals court ruled yesterday that a Superior Court judge in Camden
County should not have denied Forchion's request to change his name in
February 2002 because Forchion was not at the hearing.

At the time, the Pemberton Township man was in Riverfront State Prison in
Camden, serving 10 years on a marijuana trafficking charge. He has since
been released.

The appeals court told the Superior Court to schedule another hearing
before March 26 to permit Forchion to argue his case in person.

Forchion maintains he wants to change his name to promote his advocacy for
reform of marijuana laws, not to encourage the sale or use of marijuana as
the Camden County Prosecutor's Office contends.

Forchion also hopes to use the njweedman.com name in the fall during his
campaign for the seat occupied by U.S. Rep. Jim Saxton, R-3rd of Mount Holly.

He is running with the backing of the U.S. Marijuana Party.

The name change is a factor in a federal lawsuit Forchion filed against
Comcast Corp. after the cable giant declined to air commercials for his
campaign.

"It comes down to whether I use my name to advocate legalization," Forchion
said yesterday. "I'm using my name to show what side of the fight I'm on."

Camden County Prosecutor Vincent P. Sarubbi opposes the name change. He
said he fears if the court grants Forchion's request, a flood of
applications for name changes "promoting all manner of illegal professions"
would follow.

"Clearly, the name change is designed to promote illegal activity on the
Internet," Sarubbi said. "It is the state's obligation to oppose name
changes that promote illegal conduct."