Research Done and Sent

By now my group should have finished compiling the bulk of their information and sent it to Drew. After tonight any information found and submitted will just be cherries on top of our project.

I compiled all my information

I just sent my email to Drew with all of my stuff I think would work for our movie.

I spent about 2 - 2.5 more hours researching this afternoon, trying to find numbers related to marijuana crime and addiction. Alternet.org helped a lot for these so I highly recommend you check it out if you get a chance.

A couple more useful videos

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/80472/january-08-2007/ethan-nadelmann

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/226362/april-30-2009/ethan-nadelmann

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/389739/june-15-2011/senior-moment---pot-smoking-seniors

I will do some research on these. More to come.

Some of the alternet stuff I think we can use.

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/151742/the_real_numbers_on_who%27s_taking_medical_marijuana/

http://www.alternet.org/rights/152290/new_jersey_medical_marijuana_patient_with_multiple_sclerosis_sent_to_prison_for_five_year_sentence/

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/151991/is_marijuana_addictive/?page=1
(This one was mentioned by Dr. Cooper specifically, what can we do with it?)

http://www.alternet.org/drugs/152497/marijuana_arrests_driving_america%E2%80%99s_%E2%80%98drug_war%2C%E2%80%99_latest_fbi_report_shows/

A new website for any more researching you want to do.

Dr. Cooper gave us this website after class and it has a ton of info.

alternet.org

Just put marijuana into the search bar and you'll get some great articles.

I'm currently sifting through quite a few of these as they cover a multitude of angles I'm sure we could fit into our video somewhere.

Continuing my research!

Drew, I will have my research ready for you hopefully today before five. I just want to make sure I've ironed out any kinks that it may have; the last thing I want to do is give you crappy information for the video!

-Eric

What I've Been Researching

Last night I spent two hours compiling my research together so its easy to understand, and sift through. I also watched a video that Drew found and suggested we all watched.

Wow, this is a late post...

But anyways, I've been researching how the Comedy Central comedians handle and/or spin the subject of marijuana and marijuana legalization. From what videos we've compiled of them that deal with this subject manner, it is painfully obvious that they approach the issue with blatant sarcasm and stereotypes towards recreational marijuana smokers. Stephen Colbert is especially biting with his satire, but he often portrays himself as a recreational drug/marijuana user...is this showing his approval towards the idea of legalization? Check out these videos that I've recently uncovered:

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/179077/august-11-2008/nailed--em---medical-marijuana: Nailed 'Em - Medical Marijuana

I feel like in this video they are trying to make the man who was fired seem like a victim. What do you think?

And I liked this from Jon Stewart, where he mentions in a skit with John Hodgeman that tax revenue from legalizing marijuana could help California deal with its budget crisis:

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-june-9-2009/you-re-welcome---california-budget-crisis: You're Welcome: California Budget Crisis

He seems blunt about the topic in this video (despite Hodgeman's spoofy wind power idea.)

Just sharing my research!

-Eric

What I've Researched

I have focused more on Fox News' point of view and how they have been portraying marijuana legalization. I have found many clips of Billy O'Reilly as well as Glenn Beck. The majority of the framing I've found is whats being left out when they discuss statistics. I have, however, had some difficulty finding solid information from the fact checking sites you recommended. Other than that my research is going very well and i look forward to the project being complete.

Group meeting 2

All members of my group attended the meeting on Tuesday

Taylor Smart

Drew Vaughn

Eric Jungblut

Kim Bodrero

Dawn Otterby

All members had their assignments completed. We are now just finishing our research and will meet Thursday at 3:00 to compile everything that we have. Drew is the main video man and the rest of the group is in charge of the research.

Sorry for the misunderstanding Dr. Cooper

Dr. Cooper I appologize for the lack of information on our blog I was under the impression that the team leader was to post each group meetings agendas and act as a liaison between you and the group members. Now fully understanding whats expected of my contributions to the group and blog I would like to update you on the information I have found.

In my group I am in charge of finding out if marijuana is truly the most addictive substance, and if marijuana is actually harmful to the body and or brain. In my findings I found an interesting study that helped support the common misguided assumption is that marijuana kills brain cells, first introduced by the Heath/Tulane Study which was conducted under the Reagan Administration. Dr. Heath reported that monkeys who were distributed 30 marijuana cigarettes a day were beginning to die and show brain failure after just 3 months, thus concluding and publicizing to the public that marijuana kills brain cells. After years of requests that the study data and procedures be released, the Health/Tulane Study was finally publicized. Instead of Dr. Heath administering 30 marijuana cigarettes through out the day for 1 year, Heath strapped gas masks on to the monkeys and administered 63 marijuana cigarettes in 5 minutes without the ventilation of smoke for 90 days. While most people would argue that the THC levels killed the monkeys it was in fact suffocation due to lack of oxygen while being pumped with smoke that killed the monkeys explaining the dead brain cells and death.

Sources:

1. The Union: The Business Behind Getting High.  Dir. Brett Harvey. BKS Crew Productions, 2007. Film.

The Union, The Business Behind Getting High

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gcTUvdLOxYU

Lots of good information and interesting facts about the use and effects of marijuana.


- Drew 

Hey, Media Dogs! (or Cats...)

Just a list of the videos we have so far for quick reference:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=674AciDeu-4 = Rob Kampia of MPP on Glenn Beck 2/25/09

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl-fAWr-Ogw = Glenn Beck: "Its Time To Legalize Marijuana"

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68jhrkbBic&feature=related = Medical Marijuana Facts Force Fed To Bill O'Reilly!

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzWXzuoKjSU&feature=related = Bill 'o Reilly Gets Owned on The Drug War

• http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/365965/november-22-2010/on-topic--the-good-news---the-high-life = The Colbert Report: On Topic - The Good News - The High Life

• http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-4-2010/gone-to-pot = Gone to Pot, The Daily Show
  

• http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-7-2010/daniel-okrent = Daniel Okrent on the Daily Show

(I figured out how to link the URLs! I feel so accomplished...)

Feel free to add any other ones that you may have discovered!

-Eric

Dr. Cooper,

On Tue. Sept. 20, my group and I discussed the gateway, taxation, how marijuana effects motor skills, the brain and mental effects and overall health benefits, and crime rate. I chose to look up articles on crime rate. Over the weekend, I looked up how smoking marijuana effects crime rates on the O'Reilly Factor, the Daily Show, and the Colbert Report, but actually found nothing about this specific topic. I looked up most of the Fact Checks that you had listed in the project instructions and found a report and watched it. It was about how a particular marijuana dispensary was having trouble paying their employees. I also found info on how the immigrants were bringing marijuana into the U.S., but there was not much info specifically about marijuana. Today, Sept. 22, I found a report by the Associated Press that discussed how medical marijuana dispensaries closed last year in LA and they noticed how the crime went up in the surrounding neighborhoods of the dispensaries. I also read an article about how Senator Martin from Georgia was the only house member who voted against a bill in March 1990 about how it should be a felony to distribute or manufacture drugs within 1,000 feet of a school. I also looked up the Annenburg Factcheck and found a list of offenders who got a DUI from different things, some of them including having possession of marijuana. If I gave you too much info which you weren't necessarily looking for, please let me know in an email. Last year when I was in the class, I never posted to the blog because I thought the group leader was only supposed to post one blog during each team meeting, so I'm new to this (just like anybody else, I guess!). Thanks.

A couple things I found Researching

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=1390

http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/201011170005

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-july-7-2010/daniel-okrent

http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tue-may-4-2010/gone-to-pot

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/365965/november-22-2010/on-topic--the-good-news---the-high-life

My URL thus far!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=674AciDeu-4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl-fAWr-Ogw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h68jhrkbBic&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzWXzuoKjSU&feature=related

Fact check jazz

http://newstrust.net/stories/7691435/toolbar?ref=tp

Group Meeting 1

Members who attended:

Drew Vaughn

Kim Bodrero

Eric Jungblut

Taylor Smart

Dawn Otterby

Our team decided to make a documentary on the legalization of marijuana. Each group member was assigned a topic to research.