The Missdeeds of others

While at the club a few weeks ago it was brought to my attention that a board member had resigned there post after being confronted with allegations of fraudulent behavior. Assuming the best of this person I proceeded slowly because the club environment like many places has its own politics and given that I'm a writer for their news paper I am very much a part of it. I decided to ask my brother/editor  about how to approach writing it up. He told me that he had already talked it over with the other board members and there wasn't going to be a story, He said that the board members were so hurt by what happened that they just wanted to put the past behind them. This really pissed me off. First of all our club is an N.P.O. (None Profit Organization) which means that we run on donations and if someone stole some money then they stole from everyone at the club.They have no way of knowing who donated which dollar. That being said I don't understand how the other board members think that we the people don't have the right to know about it. In my opinion they're enabling a thief which makes them just as guilty. Their argument is that writing about it publicly invites this person to take legal action against the club and considering that  it isn't a secret and that everyone already knows anyway there would be no point. Well there's no way that could be right because this story is the truth and as long as you got the proof  you're safe. Furthermore our club has around 2000 members and due to the fire code only about 100 are allowed in the building at any given time. On our busiest days we maybe get 300 people who pass through there and of those 300 two thirds are regulars. All the other members either barely show up or don't show up at all but they still make donations. So if you think about it the bulk of the membership has no way of finding out the truth. I know it's not the same but I figured writing as much of the story as I can on this blog is better than nothing. i would also like to point out that while i remain blameless in all of this I could quite possibly be putting myself in the tightest legal position of anyone involved and it will be for being the only one willing to stand up and tell the truth.

Mike Mullins

A Not So Trivial Pursuit

While out at the local watering hole for my weekly trivia tournament, I got to talking with a young guy by the name of Mike Mullins. The conversation took an interesting turn after I explained our club and our cause. Mike, who is now 25, began to recall a scarier time just a few years ago. Mike was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma on August 23, 2004. He was 19. After six months of chemo and eight weeks of radiation therapy, Mike had lost over 70 pounds. Medications designed to counteract the ill effects of his treatment weren’t working. Desperate for relief, Mike resorted to a less conventional means of medication. His little brother gave him the idea. “Why don’t you try smoking pot? It’s worked for a lot of other people." Within a month Mike had gained back over 40 pounds. As a former non –smoker,  Mike not only didn’t realize the medical applications for marijuana but disregarded people who did. He figured they were just looking for a reason to get stoned.  Now, five years after his brother’s advice Mike is happy and cancer free. While the full extent of Mike’s good fortune with marijuana is still yet to be determined, he let me know how much his outlook has changed because of it. He said, “I have no way of knowing if marijuana saved my life, but it sure improved the quality.” Because of the hassle and the crippling stigma that in the not so recent past came with using this particular medication, Mike was a little reluctant to get his card and become legal, but now after a little coaxing and a trip to the G3C for more information, Mike has met with a doctor and has sent in his paperwork.  I was glad to be of help to Mike, and I hope to see him at the club soon.

Extravazaster

After attending the two day “Extravaganja” at the Eastern Michigan Fair Grounds, one might have to consider the harsh reality of these events. There simply aren’t enough people. I thought the point of an event like this, besides the obvious monetary incentive, would be to get the word out about medical marijuana; either way it failed.

There was a small collection of political groups and vendors; local bands and comedians paraded the outdoor stage.  For those with MMMP cards, there was a vaporizing lounge in which to medicate and a few places to score a burger and Coke.  Common sense would dictate, however, that these participants, already involved in our community and movement, no longer really needed to “network” with other clubs or caregivers.  More to the point, for a more than nominal fee, cardholders were given the privilege of trekking out into the rainy weather, sitting in an open pole barn, and medicating with total strangers; as opposed to, say, sitting in the comfort of their home, watching  T.V. with their friends and getting medicated for free .  Hard sell, if you ask me.  

The same entrance fee was just high enough to scare a possible interested non-card holding public away from participating at all. All the organizations at the fair already have web sites and most have advertisements in a myriad of periodicals, and signs around the state.  Finding information on them is as epic as googling the nearest Carl’s Jr.   Again, there is little reason pay for something that on any normal day, under any other context, would be free.  Either way, you can throw all the festivals you want, but if no one shows up, the purpose was unmet.

Unfortunately, this event is just one on a long list of recent festivals that have not met the needs of our movement, and as a reporter, it will be a long time before I am coaxed into going to another one.   It would seem that if event coordinators were truly interested in tackling public awareness, they would begin to rethink their approach.  At the very least, events like these should be free.  

Logically, we should nix movement-based affairs altogether and instead try to tie ourselves to larger, well established attractions.  Now I know I sound a little anti-movement, but by making something else the main focus of our event, not only will we have the potential to tap into new streams of the public, but we will gain the leeway on the edge of the spotlight.

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Every Wednesday at 3:00pm, Genesee County Compassion Club posts a live broadcast on Flint Talk Radio with Host Eric Gunnels.