Leading underground legacy cannabis entrepreneur and advocate Ed “NJ Weedman” Forchion is feuding with Trenton Mayor Reed Gusciora over his Joint café and lounge after an unfortunate incident that occurred outside City Hall.

Gusciora has imposed a curfew in the wake of the latest shooting from 10 pm to 8 am in the area around City Hall and the Joint. He told ABC 6 that “We’re not in the business of providing protection for a nightclub or another venue…”

NJ Weedman blames Gusciora for the incident before, since he believed more police officers should have been there in the first place. He noted that the curfew imposed is indefinite and could hurt his business severely.

NJWeedman Versus the Mayor of Trenton

NJ Weedman said the dispute occurred outside his place because they knew there were no police around.

“He created a police free kill zone!” he exclaimed about Gusciora.

“I pay for security. My security is inside. They can police a little bit inside,” Ed explained.

However, there are hundreds of people partying outside, he noted.

“I’m not complaining about that. I wish they all came inside,” NJ Weedman said.

He has had an ongoing lawsuit against Gusciora and Trenton since October 2024 in the US federal district court of New Jersey. He is now passionately fighting the curfew as well.

NJ Weedman said police protection of the area was withdrawn in 2024, which has led to the spike in crime.

He is among those operating underground legacy dispensaries or smoke shops selling a range of weed and magic mushrooms.

Trenton Entertainment Zone Issues

NJ Weedman has been hosting parties at his Joint café across from Trenton City Hall for years. For many of them, he was on good terms with Gusciora.  

But the size of the party that began outside City Hall became a problem.

“People started calling it ‘Club City Hall,” NJ Weedman noted.

“I was advocating for an entertainment zone,” he said. “There should be one or 2 police officers outside.”

NJ Weedman said some City Councilmembers also believe there should be such a zone.

“I think you should allow food trucks in! Allow vendors in and music!” he argued.

NJ Weedman said the civil servants working nearby never come in for lunch. Instead, he has more people visit in the evening.

“I’d get 300 or 400 people inside,” he noted. “There’s nothing I can do about the 200 who hangout outside.”

“It’s like Easton Avenue in New Brunswick. There’s lots of people roaming around,” NJ Weedman added.

“I have no problems inside!” he exclaimed. “A little pushing and shoving once in a while. Outside, I have no legal authority to police that area.”

Fighting Trenton City Hall

Unfortunately, there have been a few incidents outside.

“If there’s 3 people fighting outside… what am I supposed to do about it?” he asked.

NJWeedman said the October 2024 lawsuit was initially about hours of operation.

“They’re harassing me! They’re making me illegal close at 11 o’clock sometimes and sometimes at 2 o’clock,” he noted.

NJWeedman said the city lawyer conceded that there is indeed an entertainment zone in the area that can operate 24/7, but he wanted compensation.

“The city offered me $50,000 as a settlement. I said no,” NJWeedman noted.

He now wants $700,000 to compensate for damages and legal expenses.

The lawsuit remains ongoing, with new trial dates coming up.

“There’s not one person besides the mayor and city attorney who blames me,” NJWeedman argued. “That’s the city’s responsibility. That’s the police.”

He has been so unhappy that he might run for Mayor against Gusciora, along with other current candidates.

Gusciora was an Assemblyman who backed cannabis legalization, including legal home cannabis gardening, before becoming Trenton Mayor in 2018.

NJWeedman’s Legal Dispensary Progress

While NJWeedman has been unhappy that his underground legacy to legal path was stalled for years, he is making progress now.

“The dispensary, I’m on track. I’m actually getting ready to get the fingerprints,” he noted.

“Now the CRC (Cannabis Regulatory Commission) is trying to hurry up and get me a license because of the lawsuit. They’re onboard now because I sued them,” NJWeedman argued.

The CRC was named, along with the City of Trenton, as a defendant in his ongoing lawsuit.