Legalize Marijuana Party
New Jersey political party advocating cannabis legalization
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Legalize Marijuana Party is a political third party in the U.S. state of New Jersey established in 1998 by Edward Forchion to protest cannabis prohibition.[1][2]
Legalize Marijuana Party | |
|---|---|
| Spokesperson | Ed Forchion |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Ideology | Cannabis legalization |
| National affiliation | Legal Marijuana Now |
Gubernatorial candidates

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]
Results in gubernatorial elections
| Year | Candidate | Popular Votes | Percentage |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Edward Forchion | 9,137 | 0.4% |
New Jersey election results
Results in county elections
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]
Results in New Jersey state elections
| 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% |
Results in federal elections
| 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% |