Marijuana has always been a controversial subject. During the time of William Randolph Hearst, propaganda against marijuana was used to shift the demand towards lumber. In the article, Los Angeles Prepares for Clash Over California by Solomon Moore of the NY Times, the state of California, Los Angeles in particular, is now working to regulate the sale of marijuana. One key change involves turning all dispensaries into non-profit businesses. The subject has a wide range of advocates and enemies, particularly among people in office and law enforcement officials. Those strongly for marijuana use believe that regulation would cripple any business from selling medical marijuana at all which was deemed legal in 1996. Those who strongly oppose marijuana would still rather see the practice outlawed entirely. Then there are those who straddle the line, these people believe marijuana should be used for medicinal purposes and can be regulated to a reasonable extent. Ultimately, the courts will make the decision.
The article was decently written from an unbiased standpoint. By collecting statements from two extremes of the argument and then including the 3rd argument that is based on a compromise between the two sides, Moore covered the subject as completely as possible. The article includes interesting facts that drew readers in, but it was slow to get to the point. The article’s title emphasizes the ‘clash’ between opposing sides. It would have been nice if Moore included some flow of indirect dialogue between the different perspectives on the matter. Instead, Moore chose to break up the opinions into the anti-Marijuana party, the pro-Marijuana party, and those that straddle the line. Moore’s method is organized but it isn’t engaging.
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