Ed “NJWeedman” Forchion is suing an associate who goes by Bud Bandit, who is occupying a building where his daughters sought to operate a hookah lounge, along with its landlord.
NJWeedman is suing the landlord Rob and the occupant, underground cannabis entrepreneur Al Elk, who was previously selling at NJ Weedman’s place, the Joint in Trenton, NJ across from City Hall. Elk has begun openly selling cannabis flower and edibles under the name “Bud Bandit.”
Trenton Cannabis Family Business Plans
Initially, NJWeedman’s three eldest daughters were going to operate a hookah lounge there. They had an agreement with the landlord, who was renovating the location to their specifications with kitchen equipment NJWeedman had purchased.
His eldest, Chanel, would manage the place and had been in contact with the landlord named Rob. His daughter Daeja would be the front manager, and his daughter Ajanea would be the chef.
NJWeedman explained his daughters have worked for him for some time.
The daughters had planned the full layout of the location. It was going to be a hookah lounge with space for live music, a rooftop lounge, and VIP rooms. Construction was being done to their specifications.
When Chanel was filling out the form for the Certificate of Formation naming the business Sista Sista III LLC, she asked Rob for the address, which he provided.
Chanel said she had been texting the landlord Rob regularly.
“We had a deal. The only reason why we didn’t have a lease was he saying he was waiting for the certificate of occupancy and then he could legally lease it,” NJWeedman said.
Delays and Disagreement
At one point, Forchion said the landlord delayed finalizing because he had COVID. He speculated Elk bribed him since he said Elk knew about the deal.
“I never heard him talk about nothing,” Elk said regarding the location and the deal.
“He’s lying,” NJWeedman said.
Elk said the landlord was waiting for Forchion to pay him but became fed up and sold the building to another landlord from whom Elk is renting.
NJWeedman denied it was an issue of money and said he was eager to pay $50,000 for the down payment.
At the end of June, the Forchions saw Al entering and leaving the building.
“As far as I’m concerned, he stole my future equity, our future,” Ed Forchion said.
The landlord never called him back.
NJWeedman’s Family Business Venture
“I’m not even mad he’s opening up a place down the street,” NJWeedman said. “I’m mad about it because he stole it from my kids,” Forchion said.
Forchion explained he was interested in the new venture to help his kids.
“I could care less he’s close to me. McDonald’s and Burger King are on the same corners, sometimes competition is good,” he said. “I’m mad because it’s the fact he only knew about the building from working with me and my kids when he was temporarily a vendor. And then they backstabbed us and stole from under us, me and my kids with insider info.”
“They’re victims of me in prison,” NJWeedman added.
Chanel ended up in his second wife’s house as a teenager in a very tense situation.
“I was wild,” Chanel said. “She wasn’t my mom, and she wasn’t my dad, and I had to be there.”
Money was an issue that led to arguments over food.
His daughter Daeja Forchion was in the first grade when he first went to jail. When “jail” came up as a vocabulary term in class, Daeja became so emotional she was sent to the guidance counselor.
NJWeedman noted a lost connection with his daughter Ajanea because he didn’t get along with her mother.
While it did cause pain, Forchion said, “I do feel bad. Now I feel like got to find them another building.”
“Al knew I was trying to make up for being in prison. I was trying to help them in a different way,” he added.
Al Elk the Bud Bandit
Forchion noted Elk has known his daughters since they were very young since they were very close
“I sold him his first pound of weed,” he added.
Elk was initially one of his investors for the Joint of Miami. However, Elk asked for his money back in mid-June, claiming he was having money problems.
“I had a feeling he was lying about it,” NJWeedman said.
He called him a “weasel” several times.
“I always knew he was a rat,” NJ Weedman added. He noted Elk has a poor reputation in Trenton.
It was confirmed Elk betrayed two men, which led to them going to jail so he would receive a lighter sentence.
Elk denied it.
Underground Legacy Market Ethics Issues
“Al (Bud Bandit) was a vendor at my place, but Al also sells guns and heroin, and I didn’t want him associated with me. I didn’t want any heroin investigation of him to paint me with him so he had to go as a vendor,” he said.
“Two weeks before I told him to leave, a dude in the heroin trade BEAT Al for thousands of dollars without product and came to the Joint to tell Al “fuck you,” Forchion recounted. “I didn’t need any of that.”
“That’s what will be going down in his place, down the street,” he added.”
NJWeedman also criticized Elk’s brand “Bud Bandit.”
“He’s sticking to his name,” NJWeedman said.
To make matters worse, NJWeedman’s long-time associate Dioh Williams has gone into business with Elk under his brand “High Fashion Pressure.” Williams is a long-time associate of Forchion.
Williams was supposed to be involved in his Florida venture, the Joint of Miami, but backed out.
“I didn’t fire Dioh. I had a job for him in Florida and it was a surprise to me when he turned that down and teamed up with Al,” NJWeedman said.
“Dioh has shown himself to be a gullible fool, and this is the example he will be known for,” Forchion said. “That’s on him.”
Williams could not be reached for comment.
NJWeedman’s Joint Management Issues
The Joint became so busy they were having trouble meeting demand. So, a vendor was allowed to come into the building and sell. Then Williams started selling as well. Elk then asked if he could sell inside. He was allowed to set up a table for a couple of days a week temporarily. It was not supposed to be permanent.
Elk said he felt kicked out.
It was clear third-party vending inside was temporary.
To make matters worse, customers complained about some of Elk’s products. They were forced to give them a refund out of their own coffers sometimes.
Bud Bandit was one of the vendors at Boardwalk Budz in Atlantic City in June.
NJWeedman Fighting Cheap Knockoffs
NJWeedman lamented many fake social media accounts are pretending to be him.
“He’s not doing anything different than all them assholes online who copy me,” NJWeedman said regarding Elk.
He said many of his imitators on Instagram are scamming people for money and not even selling street cannabis/marijuana.
Forchion added they are stealing the work he’s done to build his brand and his publicity. He called Elk the worst cheap imitator, saying he was driving a “fake ass car.”
NJWeedman said that while Elk asked him if he could get a car inspired by his, he did not expect it to be similar.
“His whole business plan is to imitate me and try to steal/entice my existing customers as they visit me. Look at his car,” Forchion said.
He is unhappy Elk bought a custom-painted car so similar to his.
“Usually, it’s a form of flattery,” Forchion said.
He noted in Los Angeles, there were rules to keep cannabis dispensaries about 400 feet from each other. Jersey City is developing similar rules.
Unfortunately, the NJWeedman Fan Club Instagram page is being managed by Williams.
“I could never imagine at the time he’d go so far fucking south on me,” he said. “I changed Dioh’s life,” he said.
