W ORDS B Y OLIVIER L AFONT ANT | PHO T OGR APHY B Y K ARLI EV ANS The Joint of Miami is the rap venue the city didn’t know it needed. he Joint of Miami’s interior walls are adorned with psyche- delic, pop culture-in- spired art. A large blue velvet couch in front of a bizarre Mickey Mouse mural — depicting the Disney mascot with boobs and a gold pyramid for a head holding a joint whose smoke spells out the words “Stay Lifted” — occupies the cozy bar and lounge area. The venue markets it- self as Wynwood’s first marijuana- themed lounge. King Forchion, the Joint of Miami’s 24-year-old CEO, sits upright on the couch alongside his 34-year-old cousin and business partner, Essence Self, who coolly sparks a blunt for herself in the same way a matriarch would pour wine into a glass. The slight genera- tional gap between the two is brought to light as they reminisce about days past, each of them taking turns at the wheel as they navigate through rose- tinted nostalgia. “Everybody calls me the grandma — the old soul, the old one,” Essence says jokingly. In between memories, they often find themselves referencing NJWeedman, AKA Robert Edward “Ed” Forchion Jr. King usually calls him “Dad,” and Essence Self (above) and King Forchion LIT for Essence, he’s “Uncle Robby.” In conversation, they occasionally refer to him by his moniker out of respect. A pious marijuana legalization activist for decades, the New Jersey native gained notoriety through countless in- terviews, political campaigns, and weed-related business ventures. The Joint of Miami is simply an extension of the last. When they were teens living in South Jersey, King and Essence recall hearing about NJWeedman through friends, friends’ parents, and teachers — often as if he were some sort of mythical figure. For better or worse, his reputation seeped into the public per- ception of his family. “Everybody sees that it’s cool, it’s great what he’s doing, but we were also taking a hit for it too,” King reflects. “Especially anybody with the last name Forchion,” Essence adds. “They automatically assume, ‘Aw, they got a pound of weed on ‘em!’” Last year, Ed experienced an epiph- any during an impromptu excursion to Miami’s art district. Deeply inspired by the allure of his surroundings, he turned a warehouse in Wynwood into ground zero for his sequel to NJWeed- man’s Joint, which is located in Tren- ton, New Jersey’s capital. When the Joint of Miami opened in July >>p8 7 7 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | miaminewtimes.com | CONTENTS | LETTERS | RIPTIDE | METRO | NIGHT+DAY | STAGE | ART | FILM | CAFE | MUSIC | MIAMI NEW TIMES NEW TIMES MONTH XX–MONTH XX, 2008 AUGUST 18-24, 2022
