Cannabis activist discussing his New Jersey prosecutions, his defense strategy, and his advocacy for juror independence.
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E004 coming soon ↗Episode 004 · October 20
Jury
Nullification
Ed “NJ Weedman” Forchion and William Gillis on the power of juries, the limits of law, and the human cost of a verdict.
James BabbEd ForchionWilliam Gillis
Premieres October 20, 2026 · 8:00 PM ET
E004 / Upcoming
Premieres October 20 · 8:00 PM ET
The YouTube watch link will appear here once confirmed.
The conversation
When the law says guilty, can a juror say no?
James Babb speaks with cannabis activist Ed “NJ Weedman” Forchion and William Gillis of the Fully Informed Jury Association about juror independence. Forchion recounts representing himself in New Jersey marijuana cases and the verdicts that followed. Gillis explains FIJA’s juror education work and why he sees juries as a check on government power.
Jury rightsCannabis prohibitionSelf-representationJuror educationState power
In this episode
Two voices on the power of a jury.
Jury-rights advocate and FIJA writer explaining juror education and the arguments for conscientious acquittal.
View William’s profile →Hosted by
James Babb
James guides a conversation about what juries can do, how trials shape that choice, and what those decisions mean for people facing prosecution.
View host profile →Show notes + sources
References from the conversation.
Jury rights and juror education
FIJA’s account of the role of juries and its educational resources.
Fully Informed Jury Association ↗Resistance From Within Grand Juries
William Gillis examines the history and role of grand juries.
FIJA · William Gillis ↗Free Speech Under Attack
Gillis’s account of jury-rights outreach and UK sign cases. This is an advocate’s perspective on the incidents.
FIJA · William Gillis ↗State of New Jersey v. Edward Forchion
A published New Jersey appellate opinion concerning Forchion’s pretrial detention and speedy-trial calculations in a later case.
New Jersey Courts · 2017 ↗Forchion on his marijuana trial
A first-person interview about his defense and why he believes the jury acquitted him of the distribution charge.
Reason TV · 2013 ↗Forchion acquitted in separate witness-tampering case
Reporting on the 2018 verdict. This was a different prosecution from the marijuana case discussed in the episode.
NJ 101.5 · 2018 ↗