A.C. Lichtenstein, one of the producers of the play, says he was happy to let Chong meet the terms of his parole, but once those terms expire in July, Chong should honor his contract to do 36 shows on the road. “This is nothing more than an excuse by Mr. Chong to get out of his contractual obligations.”

... his contract obliges him to travel with the show for up to 36 performances after parole. “The reason he was hired in the first place is because he is the original pot icon,” says Lichtenstein. “His failure to perform has cost us excessive amounts of money out of pocket and future earnings.” Chong says he is considering a countersuit for unpaid wages and damages.

Federal law doesn't expunge felonies, except by a pardon. What are the chances that President Bush will pardon Tommy Chong? Not many, according to this look at Bush's pardon record.

He's funny as always, though. Here's Chong on his prison time:

Actually it was quite a nice experience.” He says he approached it as a religious retreat—he attended Jewish services, Catholic mass and even frequented Lakota Indian sweat lodge ceremonies—and is now writing a book about the experience tentatively called “I Chong,” a pun on the ancient Taoist tome “I Ching.”