September 24, 2019

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DELTACOLLEGIATE

Volume 85 • Issue 3

STUDENT RUN SINCE '61

September 24, 2019

Top author brings prison reform message to Saginaw Patrick Sochacki • Reporter @SochackiPatrick SAGINAW – Delta College president Jean Goodnow welcomed a crowd to the Temple Theatre in Saginaw for the President’s Speaker Series. Goodnow introduced speaker, Emily Bazelon, a reporter for the New York Times and a professor at Yale Law School. Bazelon wrote a bestselling book titled “Charged.” “Through her tireless research, [Bazelon] uncovered the impact that prosecutors Crystal Gwizdala • S&H Editor have within the criminal justice system leading to the mass SAGINAW – Bazelon urges voters at the Temple Theatre to get involved incarceration rates in the past with local elections. 40 years,” said Goodnow. When Bazelon took the of hidden message is the prison for life,” said Bazelon. to support the law, he told stage, applause filled the air power of democracy.” “There was a ballot initiative a story about a man named as she wished the audience She began with how she had to change the three-strikes Gregory Taylor, who was a happy Constitution Day. the idea for writing “Charged,” law and make it less harsh.” charged with unscrewing the “For me, it’s the perfect which came while writing Bazelon recounted how screws to the screen door of occasion to be speaking an article about the threeshe talked to the prosecutor, a food pantry. It was 5 a.m. to you,” Emily said. “I’m a strikes law in California. Steve Cooley, in Los and he was hungry. The law nerd by nature and I “California had this very Angeles and found out that prosecutor that received the wrote a book that is about harsh sentencing law: if he supported the law. She case charged Gregory with the power of prosecutors. you get convicted of a third was surprised by this. his third strike. He went to [...] In a lot of ways, its sort crime, then you would go to When asked why he chose prison for the rest of his life.

Q&A page 3

Delta road trip page 9 Hell's half mile page 10 Steve said that if this case had come to him, he would have never charged Gregory with a third strike. “I had never thought about the idea that the desk your case lands on could really determine the whole course of your life,” said Bazelon. “But once I noticed the power that prosecutors have, I started to see it everywhere. Then, when I started working on my book, what I saw was, there is a real connection between the power of prosecutors and the way in which mass incarceration has risen so much in this country.”

Here's 5 Things to know about marijuana in Michigan Samuel Philpot • Reporter @Philpoteropolis Michigan passed Prop. 1 in 2018, allowing for recreational marijuana. Since then, cities have decided individually to allow people to obtain licenses for selling medical marijuana. Between Bay City, Kawkawlin, Linwood and Pinconning, along the stretch of M-13, marijuana businesses have bloomed. Though M-13 seems to be a popular road for business to open up on, there have been plenty approved and starting to open their doors. Soon the business will be able to sell both medical and recreational marijuana. Here are some things you need to know about new regulations. Why is Nov. 1 an important date? Friday, Nov. 1 is the day on which cities will

start accepting applications for recreational licenses, allowing businesses to sell to people without a medical card. Also, it is the last day cities and townships have to officially ban the marijuana business.

reviews for local places. Such apps include Leafly, PotBot and WeedMaps. How much marijuana can I have? According to Potguid.com, you will be allowed to have up to two and a half ounces on your person, and up to ten ounces in possession at your home. If you’re a grower, you are allowed to have up to 12 cannabis plants.

What are some of the businesses around the area? The allowance of sales has gained attention from small time businesses to larger corporations. Skymint is a marijuana provider that has Could smoking socially be a thing? roughly 30 stores planned at the moment here Though you are not allowed to smoke in in Michigan, but they are shooting for 100 public, there may be use of marijuana allowed stores across the state. Other businesses in in designated lounging areas or clubs. the area include Dispo, Nature’s Medicines, Organizers of special events are also able Uncle Buds and Essence on I-75. to decide if they will permit marijuana. Are there apps that will assist me? As the marijuana business continues to grow, numerous apps have been popping up to help you find sellers or skim through


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