POT PROTESTER FREED FROM PRISON

TRENTON, N.J. -- The man who campaigned for a seat in the U.S. House of
Representatives as "NJ Weedman" has been freed from jail.

Edward Forchion, who is attempting to make the monicker his legal name, was
sentenced to 10 years in prison last year after he pleaded guilty to
possessing 25 pounds of marijuana he planned to sell.

A month earlier, he had sought asylum with the Cuban Embassy in Ottawa,
saying he should be allowed to smoke marijuana.

Forchion was recently released into the state's Intensive Parole
Supervision program, which offers education, counseling and treatment for
nonviolent offenders.

Forchion has made two unsuccessful bids for a seat in Congress, and also
appeared at the Statehouse in March 2000 for an Assembly session wearing a
black and white striped prisoner's costume.

He allegedly began smoking marijuana on the floor of the Assembly chambers,
claiming it was an act of civil disobedience. He was escorted out by state
troopers and arrested.