Delta College Public Media (WDCQ) has been producing historically focused local documentaries since 2005. CANNABUSINESS: Marijuana on MainStreet became available on April 1 for Delta College Public Media members who have unlocked their Delta Passport benefit. It will have its broadcast premiere Tuesday, April 23 at 8pm, on Delta College Public TV (PBS).
Much has occurred since Michigan voters approved the sale of adult-use recreational marijuana in 2018. This one-hour documentary focuses on the impact of the manufacture and sale of recreational marijuana in the Great Lakes Bay Region and the state of Michigan.
“We wanted to show our viewers just what is behind the doors of all those stores and growing facilities that have popped up throughout our communities,” said Bob Przybylski, producer. “We all see the billboards and smell the smells. We wanted to peek behind the curtain of this lucrative new industry in Michigan.”
CANNABUSINESS takes viewers inside a cannabis grow, product manufacturer and retail store. Identifies why some communities have said “yes” to the manufacture and sale of marijuana in their communities, while others have said “no.” Explores concerns from law enforcement and medical communities. The documentary also looks ahead to the possible future of cannabis in Michigan and the nation.
This program was produced by Ron Beacom and Bob Przybylski. They have worked on this project for over a year, shooting in several locations throughout the region. This is their third project together after producing two documentaries on the devastating Tittabawassee River disaster and aftermath titled BREACHED released in 2020 and BREACHED: Part Two released in 2021.
Reflecting on CANNABUSINESS, Beacom said, “We’ve learned this is big business with a lot of science behind it.”
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About the producers:
Ron Beacom has lived in Midland for more than 30 years and grew up in Coleman. He has several “revenue streams” in retirement working as an editor, writer and producer. Beacom retired from the City of Midland in 2016 after leading Midland Community Television for over 27 years.
Bob Przybylski is a producer and director at Delta College Public Media for twenty years. This is his thirteenth local documentary, and he received a “Best Historical Documentary” EMMY award in 2019 for his documentary, VIETNAM VOICES: Mid-Michigan Remembers the Vietnam War from the Michigan Chapter of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences.