When Leah Willingham began exploring the rise in daily marijuana use, she envisioned a story that could explain the medical reality of cannabis addiction while centering the lived experience of users. She soon discovered that Laura Ungar was working on a complementary angle focused on treatment, and the two teamed up to create a robust, all-formats package on cannabis use disorder.
Gaining access to sources willing to speak openly about their addiction was a major hurdle. Willingham spent weeks identifying and building trust with individuals whose stories could bring the issue to life. Ungar’s reporting grounded the coverage in medical and public health data, revealing how many struggling users aren’t seeking treatment.
Photojournalist Robert F. Bukaty joined to capture visual storytelling, while video journalist Mark Vancleave and Willingham shot scenes alongside Bukaty, with additional footage from Rodrique Ngowi. Mingson Lau brought the footage together into a compelling, character-driven edit. Dario Lopez Mills collaborated with Bukaty to craft a visually rich digital presentation for APNews.
The result was a deeply human, comprehensive package on a growing but often overlooked public health issue — combining strong narrative, data and visual journalism across platforms.
