Monica Yant Kinney/Weedman rolls up victories in court

[Key West]

The Weedman smokes on.

When we last checked in with the dreadlocked crusader for free speech and the right to light up, he was fighting a fistful of federal lawsuits and mounting a U.S. House campaign.

The Weedman - real name: Edward Forchion - was also desperately trying to keep himself out of jail.

Apparently, the Camden County Prosecutor's Office hadn't looked too kindly on the Weedman's refusal to deposit his DNA into the state's criminal gene bank.

I must admit, I worried about the Weedman during my months at home with baby Jane.

He's my favorite former felon. He gives great copy.

And he may be the only political candidate in New Jersey history with the guts to put a picture of himself mooning the governor on his Web site.

Miraculously, after a lifetime of toking, the Weedman has retained enough brain cells to render him one heck of an unlicensed legal eagle.

Last year, he got his parole-violation sentence overturned after convincing a federal judge that officials had locked him up to squelch his constitutional right to proselytize about pot.

This fall, the Weedman beat the rap on that DNA case.

And last month, a federal judge considering the Rastafarian's quest to conduct smoky sacraments outside Independence Hall paid the pothead a compliment in open court.

Had Mr. Forchion ever considered going to law school? the judge asked.

He might have missed his calling.

The name game:

We reunite at a Burlington County McDonald's.

The Weedman orders a chicken salad and fries.

He has a case of the marijuana munchies but plenty of time to bring me up to speed on his exploits.

Bad news: He lost the fight to change his name to NJWeedman.com.

The court said the new name would promote a criminal enterprise.

Silly judges. Publicity and provocation, not sales, are his profession.

Now the proud black man is considering filing papers to legally become Just A. Nigga.

Just to tick people off.

As we chat, a stranger stops by our booth to make a celebrity sighting.

"Are you," he askes in awe, "the actual Weedman?"

The Weedman nods, and stuffs campaign flyers into his fan's hand.

The dude pledges to vote for the Weedman, who is running on the Marijuana Party ticket against U.S. Rep Jim Saxton.

Forchion knows he's going to need a lot more McDonald's moments to unseat the incumbent.

After clashing with Comcast over his campaign ads, the Weedman finally managed to put a few of them on TV over the summer.

But he had only $1,000 to spend.

He'll have to raise more money next time around.

"I'm a gadfly," he explains, perhaps to the cable company's horror. "I'm going to run for office every year."

Fame and Forchion:

Alas, neither fame nor infamy has translated into fortune for Forchion.

Over the summer, the oft-unemployed father of four finally landed a job as a courier.

Ironically, the job required him to deliver documents to the state justice officials he has mocked mercilessly.

He made $600 a week - completely legit! - but not for long.

In August, a couple of weeks after Gov. McGreevey's "I am a gay American" speech, the Weedman delivered an address of his own, right on the Statehouse steps in Trenton.

As usual, the cameras were rolling.

His bosses caught the show. And, like clockwork, the Weedman lost a job and found another fight.

He promptly filed a wrongful-termination suit, alleging he was fired for expressing political views.

McMeal finished, the Weedman says he has to get back to politicking.

He is, blessedly, a one-issue candidate. He just wants to end the drug war and legalize marijuana.

"How is it that the only way an average guy can get his voice heard today," he asks before climbing into his beat-up van, "is by taking advantage of election laws?"

Monica Yate Kinney
Inquirer Columnist