From Cellblock to Entrepreneur - Cop Town Podcast Ep. 7

Edward "NJ Weed Man" Fortune has spent decades fighting marijuana laws, running a business in downtown Trenton, and clashing with City Hall. Now he's running for mayor. In this episode he sits down with Joe and Jose to talk about his path from smuggler to small business owner, the shooting that gutted his business this year, his views on policing and community safety, DEI, political corruption, and what he'd actually do on day one as mayor.

CHAPTERS
00:00 – Content Warning
00:19 – Intro: Meet NJ Weed Man
01:20 – Why "NJ Weed Man" Is Literally His Legal Name
02:43 – The Hours-of-Operation Fight With the City
05:30 – Growing Up in Sicklerville & First Time Growing Weed
07:10 – Military Background: National Guard, Marines, Army
07:58 – Why Run for Mayor Now?
09:14 – The 2023 "Entertainment Zone" Conflict, Round Two
14:10 – Crashing the Mayor's Press Conference
16:42 – What He'd Change First as Mayor
20:12 – The 2018 Killing That Stalled Downtown's Revival
21:26 – Arrested on Witness Tampering Charges
24:37 – Becoming the Target Over Business Hours
25:44 – The Undercover Buy & Outing a Confidential Informant
27:48 – If Elected: Vision for the Police Department
30:16 – Background Checks, Local Hiring & Why Good Candidates Get Rejected
35:52 – The Army, Weed, and a Generation Looking for Discipline
36:12 – Smuggling Weed From Arizona & Making Six Figures
38:12 – Life as a Cross-Country Trucker
43:10 – Business Update: "I'm Not a Bad Guy Anymore"
44:05 – The Mother's Day Shooting at His Business
49:15 – Watching the Shooting Happen on Camera
53:31 – Three People Hit, Aftermath & Injuries
54:23 – Revenue Down 90%: The Real Financial Toll
56:27 – Trenton's Demographics & How Mayors Actually Get Elected
57:44 – How He First Met State Senator Reid in 1998
01:00:21 – Guest Speaking at Colleges Across the Country
01:00:53 – His Take on DEI
01:05:14 – Diversity in the Trenton Police Department
01:08:06 – Nepotism, Race, and What He Saw Trucking Cross-Country
01:11:22 – How Trenton Mayoral Elections Really Work (The Black Clergy Vote)
01:13:12 – The Numbers: Winning Mayor With Just 5,000 Votes
01:14:14 – A Promotion Ceremony Controversy at the Police Department
01:17:16 – On Corruption and Political Accountability
01:19:08 – His Own Prison Sentence vs. How Politicians Get Treated
01:20:02 – Rapid Fire: Best & Worst of Trenton
01:24:43 – What He'd Change Tomorrow: Community Policing
01:25:54 – The Ward System & Trenton's Internal Rivalries
01:27:49 – What People Get Wrong About Trenton
01:28:51 – Federal Grants, Poverty, and Why Cities Don't Get "Fixed"
01:30:15 – Looking at Baltimore, Camden & Jersey City as Models
01:32:21 – His Pitch: Dredge the River, Build a Dock
01:34:29 – Comparing Trenton to Philadelphia & Times Square
01:36:30 – Bringing Back "The Commons"
01:36:53 – Why Feeling Safe Is the Real Issue
01:37:29 – The Police Layoffs Nobody Replaced
01:39:06 – Closing Thoughts & Why He's Asking for a Chance
01:42:09 – Final Reflections & Thanks for Watching

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📌 ABOUT COP TOWN
Cop Town is a podcast by retired law enforcement officers having the conversations cops actually have — about the job, the politics, the people, and what the public never sees. Formerly known as Code 3 Mind Body Spirit.

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This podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes. Statements made by guests reflect their own opinions and experiences and do not necessarily reflect the views of the hosts or this channel.

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