High There appeal at Hempcon gains celebrity support for jailed New Jersey marijuana activist

HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - Nov. 10, 2015 - PRLog -- The case of Jon Peditto, the New Jersey photographer facing 20 years in prison for cultivating 17 marijuana plants, is receiving wide attention after producers of the film High There publicized it at the Hempcon festival in San Bernardino, California.

A High There street team led by director and co-star Henry Goren and executive producer Sam Peters spread out at the outdoor event at the NOS Events Center, and gained support from "420" celebrities including Hemp, Inc. founder Bruce Perlowin, "Medicinal Mike" Boris of the Nuglife Radio Show, and local radio celebrities Robert Porter and Deborah Coleman of the NBC affiliate KCAA-AM  radio.

Perlowin, notorious and legendary as a major marijuana smuggler in the Sixties and Seventies, served nine years in federal prison and has become a successful hemp entrepreneur.  Working the festival with his CBD Jeans company, he took time to commend Peditto for his bravery and announced his support of the defense fund on Fundrzr.com.

Foster featured the case on his "I Love San Bernardino" program on Sunday, and High There star Wayne Darwen, AKA "Dave High," will soon be appearing on Medicinal Mike's show.

Influential figures and fans alike spread word of and outrage over Peditto's case on social media platforms.

Goren attracted attention to the High There team as soon as he donned the gas mask and baseball hat worn by his character "Roland Jointz" in the nonfiction gonzo comedy.  Many fans gathered to have their picture taken with the cult movie star, receive free copies of the BRINKvision limited edition High There DVD, and take away Jon Peditto informational fliers.

"Everybody loves Roland Jointz,  the cameraman who wears a gas mask to protect himself from Dave High's marijuana smoke," said Sam Peters. "That's funny, but the Peditto case is not.  New Jersey's Draconian laws are out of step with neighboring states, the nation -- and I'd say New Jersey's population.  All of us on the High There team believe that Jon Peditto should not be sitting in jail.  And everyone we meet -- to a person -- agrees."

Peters added: "How bizarre is it that we are in America, at a county fair site where marijuana plants, seeds and leaves are on display and winning prizes, where the scent of cannabis fills the air -- and on the other side of the country, a man sits in a cell for gardening that's legal in other states. Ridiculous is the word."

Peditto was arrested in 2012 for growing 17 marijuana plants.  He refused plea bargain offers from prosecutors because he felt the sentences were too harsh and that the drug laws need to be changed.  On October 29, 2015, he was convicted of maintaining a "drug manufacturing facility."   He is being held in the Ocean County Jail, awaiting sentencing on December 23rd.  Under current New Jersey law, he faces a mandatory sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.

A campaign to raise money for his appeal is underway.

Contributions to the John Peditto Defense Fund can be made at

http://JonPedittoDefenseFund.com  or

https://fundrazr.com/campaigns/013kNd/ab/c5GMF2