Posted by Dene Hadden
SPOKES VOL. LXV NO. 45                                                                               May 21, 2019
 
 
Bpob Straits and Larry Wittkop were our greeters this morning.
 
President Odland opened the meeting with “God Bless America” and Art Ayers provided the invocation with special thoughts for Jane Copping and Tony Martorano and quick healing.
 
Guests:
 
We had several guests this morning, including Chris Wellington from Bronson Health Care, Dana Hullingger, Lotto Resek for a special presentation and our speaker Dr. Michael Vasko.
 
We also welcomed back a couple more snowbirds, Tom Noverr and Art Bolt.  Welcome Back!!
 
Spotlight:
 
We heard from Lotte Resek, Director of Foundry Hall.  She gave a short presentation about the many programs that Foundry Hall puts together, including many for kids and including music and theater.  Of course they also manage the Riverfront Concert Series, long supported by our Rotary Club.  Grant Chairman Tom Renner presented Lotte with a check for our continued support of the Riverfront Concert Series.
 
Announcements:
  • Blessings in a Backpack last filling will be on Friday June 7.
  • The We Care Golf Outing will be held on June 3rd at Hawkshead.  They are also raffling a Taylor Made driver.  See Bob Straits for tickets and information.
  • Our annual change of officers dinner will occur on June 25th at Hawkshead.  There will also be a golf outing before the dinner and Dan Thompson has the signup sheet.
  • Red Nose Day will occur this Thursday to support child nutrition and care.
  • President Odland reported that he talked to Tony Martorano who indicated that his knee replacement surgery went well but he is battling some other medical issues.
  • Bob Straits reported on the cold District Conference on Mackinac Island where he was recognized as our Club Hero.  He also mentioned that Glenn and Don were honored and then presented our club with a certificate of achievement for our 100% participation in the Rotary International Foundation.
 
Songs:
 
Jim Davis was our song leader today as Bob Boerma was getting emotionally ready to win at least half of the 50/50 pot.He led off with the 1910 hit “Down By the Old Mill Stream”.It was written in 1908 by not published until ’10 because it was not perceived to be of commercial value.As it turns out it became very popular, especially among our local “hounds” that were out in force this morning.We followed that with the slightly peppier “For Me and My Gal”.This is one of our newer selections – just over one hundred years old, written in 1917.We finished with “Sing a Song to Rotary”.
 
50/50
 
Bob Boerma was the winner today, drawing the “2”. Because we had a winner last week, he only took home about $3.10.Our $2 winner was Scott Mark.
 
Fines:
  • Jerry Gruber was pleased to announce that Ann has agreed to remain with him for another year as they celebrated their anniversary this week.
  • Don Hodgman was pleased to announce the birthday of his lovely wife Carol.
  • Rhonda Wendzel is celebrating the birthday of her granddaughter on Memorial Day.
  • Art Bolt paid for a couple of missed birthdays.
  • Tom Noverr also remembered that he had missed a couple of birthdays over the winter.
  • Tom Ruesink talked about a couple of car shows – the Auburn Show with hundreds of award winning cars, including a couple of Red McFadden’s and The Lane Automotive Show this Saturday south of Watervliet.
  • It was also noted that Jerry Gruber and Tom Renner (both twice), Dan Thompson and Paul Hix (full page ad) were in the paper and significant fines were to be collected for their transgressions.
 
 
Bob McAlear introduced our speaker, Dr. Michael Vasko.
 
Dr. Vasko has numerous degrees and awards but the most prestigious is his degree from the University of Michigan.  He is a researcher into the effects of drugs, particularly marijuana based drugs, on humans.
 
Dr. Vasko talked about what various parts of the plant and even male and female plants.  He indicated that about 11% of people have tried marijuana.
 
Prior to the 1930’s access to marijuana was not limited but in the 1930’s restrictions were applied and anti-marijuana publicity began.  In the 1970’s it was mad a Schedule 1 narcotic which made its use, even for research very restrictive.
 
There are three classes of marijuana drugs:  Natural, which includes Delta 9 THC and other substances.   Plants naturally have about 3% THC some have been modified to contain up to 30% THC.
 
The second class are the synthetics or “designer drugs” where TCH molecules are modified to make them “legal”.  These drugs are typically very dangerous.
 
The last class are the group that are produced naturally in our bodies and research on these groups works toward making these drugs more effective.
 
Dr. Vasko’s biggest goal is that more research be done on the effects of marijuana.  At this point, because it was a restricted drug, very little research has been done.  Almost no double blind research that is required for FDA approval have been done.  His hope is that this research can be conducted and we can find out the effects of marijuana for sure and the doses that are the best for treating various ailments. 
 
We don’t even know the “legal limit” blood level for what would make someone “impaired” after using marijuana.  This is research that needs to be conducted.
 
In response to a question, he suggested that marijuana is not a gateway drug itself, but that illegal suppliers are more interested in users buying more profitable drugs like heroin and become “pushers” and dealers. 
 
Bob presented Dr. Vasko with our speaker’s pen and thanked him for a very interesting presentation.
 
Prior to adjournment, Tom Renner presented each of us with a Red Nose to show our support for this important effort and we gathered for a group picture.  (Fines will apply if this picture appears in the paper)
 
 
President Odland closed the meeting with the Four Way Test.
 
Next week’s program: Paul Hix will present his semiannual market report.
 
Greeters:  Ted Weber and Bill Roberts
 
Editarian:  Dene Hadden