More
than
70
Michigan
dispensaries
operating
under
temporary licenses were forced to
shut their doors at the beginning
of 2019. In compliance with a set
of bills passed in 2016, reforming
the way the state regulates the
production and sale of medical
marijuana. The result was a
shortage in medical marijuana,
plaguing many areas in Michigan
including much of Ann Arbor.
Ann Arbor is home to 20
dispensaries, only seven of which
have official licenses. Kinesiology
junior L.J. Horowitz, a member
of Green Wolverine’s founding
executive
board,
estimated
Ann Arbor has one of the
highest
densities
of
official
and total medical marijuana
provisioning centers in the state.
Green Wolverine is a student
organization focusing on the
cannabis industry.
“It’s great for students and
great for people who live in Ann
Arbor, but that’s by far the most
besides Detroit in any city in
Michigan,” Horowitz said.
When the shortage hit, Ann
Arbor residents and business
owners were disproportionately
affected.
Lisa
Conine,
community outreach coordinator
at provisioning center Om of
Medicine, described the scarcity
as frustrating, saying patients
were ridden with fear over what
was to come.
Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans,
Scholar-in-Residence
at
the
American Learning Institute
for Muslims, opened the Sacred
Time Project 2019 — an annual
weekend conference sponsored
by
the
Muslim
Students
Association — Friday afternoon
in the Rackham Amphitheatre
with a session called “The
Faithful
Servant:
Rooting
Service in Tradition.”
“I embraced Islam about
20 years ago,” Evans said. “I
converted when I was 16 … so
when I encountered Islam, it
was
this...uncompromising
monotheism that really drew
me to the faith.”
Evans’s talk was one part of
the Sacred Time Project, which
ran Jan. 25-27. The conference
included two main speakers —
Evans and associate professor
Su’ad Abdul Khabeer — as well
as full-group sessions and other
workshops and activities.
LSA
sophomore
Areesha
Shahab, who was a Sacred Time
Project chair and took part in
organizing the conference, said
she hoped participants left the
conference feeling empowered
to be a servant within the
community
and
feel
more
involved in the Islamic faith or
spirituality.
“This year, we were super
heavily focused on student
initiative and the aspect of
being a faithful servant to the
community and just being a
good servant,” Shahab said. “I
just want people to leave feeling
like, ‘Oh, I need to do more’ or
‘Oh, I just need to get myself
more involved in something.’”
During his session, Evans
discussed his discovery of Islam
and experience with his faith.
He also talked about similarities
with other faiths, but the
uniqueness of Islam comes from
recognizing Muhammad’s place
as a messenger for God.
He said in the past, Islam
used to debate the place of God.
In the present day, however,
Evans said negotiations focus
around understanding religion
in real time. He specifically
noted the conference’s focus
on
examining
Islam
and
the
understanding
of
the
religion in the present day,
which he characterized as a
commendable quality of the
program.
Evans then looked at the
meaning of the term “servant”
and what hierarchy entails.
He said the Islamic model,
as he understands it, is not
about avoiding or disavowing
privilege- rather, it is about
helping those who are not as
privileged
and
supporting
equity.
On Friday morning, President
Donald Trump signed a bill to
reopen the government for three
weeks, until Feb. 15. During the
three-week period, Trump is
attempting to negotiate with
lawmakers for the Southern
Border Wall. Ann Arbor and
neighboring local governments
took proactive measures to aid
federal workers with payments
and expenses accumulated if the
federal government shutdown
were to continue.
On Jan. 22, Ann Arbor City
Council
passed
a
resolution
allowing federal workers to defer
payments to the city for 60 days
after the government shutdown
ends.
Councilmembers
voted
unanimously
to
pass
the
resolution. Mayor Christopher
Taylor introduced this resolution
because he deemed it necessary to
counteract the fiscal harm being
inflicted by the government.
“As everybody knows, the
federal
government
is
shut
down and that is a condition
that reflects terribly upon good
michigandaily.com
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Monday, January 28, 2019
ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-EIGHT YEARS OF EDITORIAL FREEDOM
Temporary
licenses are
given to A2
dispensaries
Detroit Conference talks equality,
justice in the LGBTQ community
BUSINESS
Over 70 medical marijuana facilities
can continue operation until March 31
MELANIE TAYLOR
Daily Staff Reporter
3,000 attendees come together to discuss reproductive rights, #MeToo movement
The 31st annual Creating Change
Conference, the nation’s largest
LGBTQ
conference,
held
Jan.
23-27, brought activists together
from across the country to discuss
freedom, justice and equality for
the LGBTQ community. The event,
hosted by the National LGBTQ
Task Force, was held in the Detroit
Marriott
at
the
Renaissance
Center with about 3,000 people in
attendance.
About 200 workshops and 50
events were offered at Creating
Change. Participants could also
attend day-long institutes, visit
hospitality
suites
and
utilize
complementary wellness services.
While the conference primarily
focused on LGBTQ issues and
recognizing individuals who are
working to make a difference in
the community, topics such as the
#MeToo movement, reproductive
rights
and
immigration
were
integrated into discussion as well.
Business senior Chandra Sahu,
a Ross representative for Central
Student Government, said she
heard about the conference through
CSG and the Spectrum Center,
and attended the conference as a
representative of both. Sahu said
she looked forward to learning more
BARBARA COLLINS
Daily Staff Reporter
Panel views
postcards,
activism in
art world
ACADEMICS
Brooklyn-based artist
Opdyke displays new
environmental installation
EMMA STEIN
Daily Staff Reporter
CARTER FOX/Daily
Ustadh Ubaydullah Evans, Scholar-in-Residence at the American Learning Institute for Muslims, speaks about his
relationship with Islam in Rackham Auditorium.
Annual MSA Sacred Time Project
looks at modern-day Islam, service
Student initiative focuses on being a faithful servant in the community, spirituality
ALEX HARRING
Daily Staff Reporter
Back to Dominance
Thanks to Charles Matthews’
performance on both ends of
the court, Michigan regained
its dominant form in a 69-46
win over Indiana.
» Page 1B
On
Friday
afternoon,
the
University of Michigan’s Institute
for the Humanities hosted a panel
featuring Brooklyn-based artist
David Opdyke, journalist Lauren
Sandler, historian Tara Ward, and
arts curator Amanda Krugliak
to discuss the effectiveness of
art as activism. The conversation
centered
on
Opdyke’s
new
installation, titled “Paved with
Good Intentions.”
The piece is a collection of
vintage
postcards
of
popular
American sights that Opdyke
painted over. The postcards are
assembled together, forming a
scenic landscape riddled with
environmental catastrophes and
chaos.
Opdyke said he has always
made his art for himself and about
his passions, but he has recently
started being more purposeful
in his creation. He said art is his
form of activism and he has chosen
to use his talent to try to make an
impact.
“I
make
it
because
I’m
compelled to make it,” Opdyke said.
Ann Arbor
proactively
designs aid
for workers
CAMPUS LIFE
Federal government
shutdown prompts
local financial relief
CATHERINE NOUHAN
Daily Staff Reporter
GOT A NEWS TIP?
Call 734-418-4115 or e-mail
news@michigandaily.com and let us know.
INDEX
Vol. CXXVIII, No. 61
©2019 The Michigan Daily
N E WS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
O PI N I O N . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
A R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
S U D O K U . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
CL A S S I F I E DS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
S P O R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 B
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ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Johnathan Jayes-Green, recipient of the 2019 Has, Jr. Award for Outstanding LGBTQ Leadership for Immigrant Rights speaks at the Creating Change Conference
at the Detroit Mariott Renaissance Center Saturday afternoon.
Read more at
MichiganDaily.com
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