Digital Journalism

The best way I know of to describe digital journalism is to explain the network that has been created for The Genesee County Chronicle.  A web page was set up to display the paper in a digital format. From there you can connect to the Chronicle blogs, face book, twitter, and endless links to corresponding web pages.   This allows for reporters to display their stories in more than one way, which in turn attracts readers from a variety of different digital locations.  Stories come and go wirelessly from a reporter’s personal hot spot to the palm of a reader’s hand instantly- no lag in communication.

 It used to be that reporters really had to work a lot harder to do their job; they would have to chase down leads and follow hunches in the hope that they could develop a good story. Google, YouTube, live video blogs, and podcasts have changed things. Now any yahoo with a cell phone can be considered a reporter. The stories that might have taken months to crack can now be found streaming the web moments after they happen. One could say that this is a great advancement in journalism and that a new age is upon us, but one could also point out how useless a degree in journalism would be if all the breaking news was covered by armatures. That’s why integrity will play a crucial part in the success of future reporters.  Since  professionals now have to contend with a scrutinizing and able- bodied public capable of reporting their own news, I am happy to say that there will be less and less room for the sensationalistic propaganda that has passed for news in the fairly recent past. These days people won’t stand for it and there quickly realizing they don’t have to.

The New Club

We had our third meeting this week at the Good Beans Café. The first order of business was to relocate our next meeting to somewhere we could medicate indoors. With the winter months approaching, some of our older volunteers stated that they had fought the good fight for too long to be pushed into the cold now. After a short discussion, the group decided to have our next meeting at a place I’ve never been to before. Apparently it's a really swanky club that some guy has out on wooded property behind his house. I haven’t heard much about the building itself, only what the club offers. Unlike the G3C this place comes fully furnished, which includes a pool table, a bar, and a 23 foot, nineteenth century, solid slate shuffle board. I guess we’re allowed to drink and smoke inside and there’s no problem. From what I’ve heard there’re a lot of parties at night with live bands and free food. I’ve also been told that there’s a really safe feeling there, and a few people have told me that during the day, you can bring your kids there to ride the horses, or go swimming in the lake. They also have a community pantry that is always stocked to the brim with food.  In fact, it gets so full they often make donations to families in need. This place sounds pretty cool, but so did the G3C at first, and considering that for a few members of our group this is their forth club, who can speculate the long haul? No club offers everything or satisfies everybody. Either way, I’m sure I wouldn’t be getting into this club if I weren’t part of this group. From what I’ve heard, the members don’t accept many younger people. Most of the members are retired shop workers and understandably they don’t want any “riff-raff” in their club. Well, it just so happens that I’m really good friends with some of my parents’ friends who worked in the shop, that shop workers are my kind of people, and I assume we’ll get along fine. I think I’ll just keep my fingers crossed just the same.

The Third Meeting

We had our third meeting for the paper this week and we were really happy about the results. We covered a number of new topics that have developed in the past few weeks including the wrongful termination of our format directors’ wife for failing a drug test at her job. She informed them that she was a legal medical patient and that she had the credentials to prove it. They fired her anyway!  Now, with the backing of the ACLU, she is going to court. Given that it’s a story in our own backyard, we’ve been given the exclusive story. Considering that Wal-Mart is in the news for the same thing, we hope this story will hit a bit harder. Another thing that’s finally ready is our flyer asking for reporters and artists interested in getting their work published. Part of the mission of this paper is to highlight the local area by utilizing citizen journalism. We want to present news from as many different perspectives as possible. We want to help people make an informed decision by presenting all the facts we can, even if we don’t necessarily agree with them. Another issue we plan to cover is the patch work of counties that all have different ordinances concerning marijuana. We plan to make a map that separates them into three categories: green for good or safe, red for bad or unsafe, and yellow for unknown or undecided. Then we decided to label all the compassion clubs and dispensaries on it so if people wanted to, they could use our map during the holiday season for any traveling inside the state. Going to grandma’s?  Stop off and medicate along the way. Going hunting and need some medication? Plan a pit stop. Medication is literally available everywhere. From there, we decided that it might not be a bad idea to sponsor our own Club Crawl. After much discussion, we decided to table that proposal until the next meeting. Either way, it really feels as though the paper is really coming together.

Seedless Underbelly



The Compassionate Care Center of Michigan,
a medical marijuana dispensary, has opened in Dryden.
Staff prohibited pictures from being taken inside,
 but this green door leads up to the dispensary,
5493 Main St. at the corner of Mill Street




       In November of 2008, the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act was adopted by the residents of the state of Michigan with a staggering margin of over 63%. Ever since then politicians have been doing there best to squeeze the new legislation into the current drug policy.  However, there are so many gray areas in our new law, and the exact interpretation of it varies greatly from township to township and county to county.  As a long time user of marijuana, it wasn’t hard for me to make transition from illegal user to legal medical patient. I already knew the ins and outs of how marijuana is grown, the many ways to use it, where to get it, and maybe most importantly, the laws that surround it. Then it occurred to me while talking to a classmate named Nancy, that most of the perspective patients who are making their way into this movement have no idea what to do once they get there. With all that’s going on with the law and all the dispensaries in the news paper, one could see how this could seem a little daunting. It is my hope that some of these grey areas will be sussed out by the end of this paper, allowing for newbie patients to gain some perspective before heading into Genesee County’s seedless underbelly.

            When taking on anything that might be a little subversive, especially something as politically charged as marijuana use, it is always a good idea to read all the laws and procedures that pertain to that subject, just so you have a basic understanding of what you could be getting yourself into. The last thing you want is to wind up in a situation that you didn’t necessarily know you were in danger of encountering and get into trouble for it. All the laws and procedures the authorities are supposed to abide by are on the MMMP website at Michigan.gov. Just because it’s a law doesn’t mean the courts and the police will enforce it the way you think they should.

In an interview with the Genesee County Chronicle, Tim Beck leader of the medical marijuana movement in this state said that once the initial law was passed Mike Cox, current Attorney General for the state of Michigan, had a choice of how to implement the new statute.  He had the power to force a uniform measure across the state or to allow each county to decide how marijuana would be handled.  Ever since, the state’s counties have been issuing a jigsaw of ordinances and confusing the already troubled act.  While, it is more egalitarian to allow each county its own policy, it does in effect allow counties outlaw medical marijuana by ordinance. Essentially, in this case, local ordinance trumps state law.  This initiative most likely derived from the infamous “White Page Report” issued out of California by groups of locals sheriffs and related agencies.  Basically the report is a right-wing how to manual on keeping the medical marijuana movement from establishing legitimacy.  Overall any person new to the medical marijuana scene ought to check their local ordinances before making a move.  

So, in general, State Police follow state law and have thus far have not had any notable conflicts with the act or the citizens following that act.  However, as aforementioned, each county has been afforded the right to interpret the law as they see fit, and in some more conservative communities they still view marijuana with contempt.  It is in those counties such as Lapeer and Oakland, where local authorities take the law into their own hands. Bloomfield Hills for example is battling with ACLU over its complete ban of dispensaries right now. These authorities pride themselves on taking the narrowest view of the law possible, and when it comes to the very obvious gray areas, they just make it up as they go along.  Now I’m not saying these guys are crooked; I’m just saying that because there are so many shadows in the legislation that it’s anyone’s guess where it begins and ends. Take the “Dryden Incident”; it’s a case concerning a local dispensary that was shut down because caregivers were selling their products to people who weren’t their patients, but still legal card holders. According to the authorities in that township, under administrative rules set forth by the Director of Community Health, namely Rule 333.115: caregivers are only allowed to be compensated by the five patients they are responsible for, not anyone else. So these counties are solely focusing on the administrative rules that the department of health was legally forced to produce. However, the law doesn’t actually say that, and in effect tramples on the initial spirit of the law.  The specifics are clearly lacking in this area for either side. In fact, according to the Medical Marijuana Act under section 333.26424, clause (j) states that patients who are cardholders in another state can come and get medication in our state when there here visiting.  If that’s true, then how are visitors supposed to get their medication if caregivers aren’t allowed to sell it to them? They might refer to another section, 333.26428, subsection 8, clause (2) that says that a legal patient cannot be charged for purchasing medication, even if it’s from someone who is not legal at all. To me, that sound like a good “legal” way to allow an out-of-towner to obtain medication.   This brings me to the overall point, which is the spirit of the law. I believe that the objective of the 63% who voted for it was to allow safe access for people who need medication, not to make it as hard and expensive to get and as possible.

            In order to get an idea of how these places have been allowed to operate I decided to question local dispensary owner of MI Organic Solutions “Ben”. He begins by saying that there is no outline for a business model written in the law; however the law does stipulate that there must be a safe place for patients to transfer their medication. So dispensary owners have been left with the uncomfortable task of figuring it out on our own.

The two most favored business models fall into two major categories. The first is what is called a compassion club, which legally operates as a non-profit business and allows for patients and caregivers to congregate for the safe transfer of medication. These places usually have a farmer’s market feel where the patient is allowed to interact directly with the people who grew the medication, to sample it and haggle for a better price. Further, because the entity is non-profit, patients and caregivers are allowed to “sample” the medication as many times as they wish before leaving.  It is common in a compassion club to see caregivers allotted to a section of the establishment, and the patients lounge on a variety of couches or chairs sampling. The second model is a for profit business that usually gives the patient the more professional feel of a doctor’s office. The medication is still free but the difference being that your paying for the container instead of the labor.  But because there is no medicating on the premises unlike in a compassion club, the atmosphere tends to be a lot quieter and less bothersome to the community. A lot of people like the compassion club feel for its variety and prices but some people just want to get their medication in private and then to go home. They don’t like crowds or haggling, they just want a reliable source for their medication.

Considering the fact that the leader of the anti-medical marijuana movement, Republican Bill Schuette, has risen to the position of Attorney General many dispensary and compassion club owners are shaking in their boots.  Schuette has stated repeatedly that while he used marijuana in college, he thinks that the movement is a sham and seeks to impede its efforts in any way possible.  Since Schuette was circuit court judge of appeals in his early career, he is very familiar with the administrative process of the legal system and plans to use it to forward is own political view.  But there is still hope for medical marijuana as a whole.  In recent Pew Research Center survey 3 out of 4 Americans believe that marijuana should be legal in their state.  Up from 35% in 2008, 41% of Americans think that medical marijuana should be legal.  So because of the confusion created, it is obvious that if you plan to get involved with the medical marijuana movement in this state, be sure to know the laws!

New Changes to the Paper

At the beginning of this project it was mostly planning and hope, now things are really starting to get to a point that can’t be controlled by just a few and we are having to depend on a lot more people to get our word out.  Because there are so many new people all the time, we decide to expand not only the size and shape of the paper but also it’s content. We will now cover things that don’t necessary have anything to do with marijuana but are still a part of the counter culture. We will now be covering not only the politics but art and entertainment as well.   Our next issue will be printed with soy based ink on recycled paper. We have a local artist named Kedrie Young who is doing the artwork for our cover. We have already gotten an approval from the UofM administration to pass out our flyer on campus to recruit citizen journalists who might want a shot at getting published. We are also currently being distributed to over twenty locations and next month we are in negotiations for another twenty ranging between Saginaw and Pontiac. We are going to try to stay inside Genesee County for our content and hopefully draw in as much out of town business as possible. Our last issue only had 500 print copies at twelve pages a copy. Are next issue is going to be 5000 copies with the same or more pages, depends on the new format and layout which is now someone else’s department, not to mention that while most of the articles are being written by dependable people, some of the stuff is being written by newbie’s so who knows if and when they’ll deliver. Not to worry I meet new and talented people every day.

Fermented Firebombers Foiled by Family Friends

This is the kind of stuff that will now appear regularly



Duffy Home Ablaze

 On November 7, 2010, at 5:30 am, 15 year old local paperboy, Sean Bridges reported an arson in progress at 325 west 5^th Ave. Due to the fire department’s quick reaction time of four minutes, the fire was extinguished within 15 minutes. After hearing glass break, Bridges witnessed a lone figure flee to a dark SUV with a waiting driver. Moments after the car sped off, the boy saw flames and began pounding on the door in an attempt to alert the family of eight that dwelled inside. In the confusion, Jim and Sandy Duffy didn’t realize that their youngest daughter, three year old Kim Duffy, had not yet emerged from the flaming inferno. By the time the connection was made, the family dog Buddy amazed everyone when he appeared just outside the flaming domicile leading young Kim by his collar.  So relieved at the safe return of her daughter, that when asked about Buddy, Sandy Duffy was quoted as saying, “He saved her life.” While no major injuries were sustained, 3 individuals did receive medical attention for minor injuries. Kim Duffy suffered minor smoke inhalation and was hospitalized. A female firefighter, Sharon Medina, suffered a cut on the arm and was treated then released by Hurley Medical Center.  Buddy the dog was treated for minor burns he received on his paws.

After a short investigation, two men were arrested and will each be charged with eight counts of attempted murder and one count of arson which together could carry a sentence of life in prison. The investigators determined that the unnamed 27 and 38 year old suspects were intoxicated when setting the fire and mistook the Duffy family home for a know drug house. The suspects admit their mistake and are showing their remorse inside a cell at the Genesee County Jail where they are being held without bond, pending a court appearance on Monday.  The real drug house was raided and two arrests were made. Despite the circumstances, the authorities don't seem to believe this incident is related to any of the other recent fires in the city.

Sean Bridges will be receiving a medal of valor from the mayor in honor of his heroic deed. As an added asset, his actions will aid in the acquisition of the coveted Boy Scouts’ life saving merit badge. Sean hopes that it will lead to the superior level of Eagle Scout.  

All donations to aid the Duffy’s should be directed through your local Red Cross office.

The next step in the basement project

Well, my basement project is really starting to come along. We’ve gotten all the walls built to separate the various rooms. We used pressure treated lumber for all the bottom plates because my basement has been known to flood.  Next we had an electrician come in to clean up the wiring and set up the power and timers for our lights. Now we have timed dedicated circuits that run every where we need.  The next thing on the list is the dry wall. We’ve got to get this special Green Board that usually goes into bath rooms on account of how damp the basement already is plus how much more moisture is going to be present once the garden is in; there’s really no other way to go. Next, after the obvious paint job, we plan to put in a security system. It’s going to be a mixture of high tech and lo tech. On the high end, we’ve got biometric locks, web cams, and motion sensors. On the low end we already have steel shutters over the windows and a reinforced steel door with a standard deadbolt. There are also a few other things that will really detour any unwanted visitors whether it be thieving rat or dirty pig. Finally, after a long planning process, we will be able to get our lights and start our garden. We will eventually be employing a variety of growing methods including ebb and flow hydroponics, aeroponics, and the traditional soil method. We will be implementing a quarantine procedure based around the containment tents we are buying.  Each garden of twelve plants will be housed inside of a very durable, independently ventilated tent with a highly reflective interior to collect and reuse as much light as possible. This way, if some sort of contaminate gets into one tent, it won’t necessarily get to all the others.