Marijuana brings families closer: one day at a time

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/10/us/10pot.html?ref=health

“Marijuana, Once Divisive, Brings Some Families Closer”

By: John Leland

New York Times

This headline is unique because normally the use of drugs in families tear them apart, but in this case the headline states that families are becoming closer due to the consumption of marijuana. This headline lets me know that the article will be based on a positive aspect of this drug which is illegal in some states. The lead draws the readers in by hinting that children “buying marijuana for aging parents”, which is peculiar because most parents would not want their children buying drugs. The lead is a what lead because right off the bat I knew what I would be reading about, it is very effective because even though I knew what the article was about I wanted to know more about why kids are buying marijuana for their parents.

This article had many sources. Some of the sources’ full names were not included due to legal reasons. Bryan 46 buys marijuana for his mother and father, Alex 21 studies the different uses of marijuana in college and also provides his father with the drug. As well as Florence 89 a New York artist who gets her dose from her daughter Loren 65 who has admitted to all of her doctors that she uses marijuana and they have not discouraged her from using it. The opinions of professionals were also part of the article, Dr. Seddon R. Savage, a pain specialist and president of the American Pain Society, Dan G. Blazer, a professor of geriatric psychology at Duke University. I think this article balanced out very well the opinions of the parents using the substances and their children who provided them. I do think the author should have included the voice of an authority who says what could happen to these elderly people who are using marijuana illegal.

This article has several news determinants, such as consequence and human interest. This article speaks of marijuana a drug which has been used illegally for many decades by young people, is legal in 14 states and Washington D.C, but is being used by many elderly people in states such as Illinois and New York where it’s illegally.

I was drawn to this article because many people are against marijuana pushing aside the fact that it can be used as a medicine.