Abstract
This project was a collaborative effort in which the work and decision making was equally shared by the researchers. This study examined the ethical dilemmas facing social workers when providing services to clients who use medical marijuana. Marijuana is a Schedule 1 drug. For this reason, the federal government is hesitant to invest in further scientific research on the therapeutic benefits of medical marijuana. However, in 14 states, voters have challenged federal law and passed legislation legalizing medical marijuana so that patients with an identified medical condition may obtain a recommendation from a physician to use medical marijuana. The findings of the study suggest that although social workers are bound to use the NASW Code of Ethics as a guideline for practice, promoting the self-determination of clients, the controversial nature of medical marijuana laws test this obligation. Outside of unclear legislation, social workers also face the dilemma of understanding that clients may not obtain medical marijuana from a legal dispensary or caretaker, but rather choose an illegal method of obtainment. A third ethical dilemma identified for social workers that provide services to clients who use medical marijuana is the popular public notion that marijuana can be a bridge to the abuse of other substances. The survey conducted for this study aimed to compare views of practicing social workers in the rural and urban settings of Mendocino and Sacramento Counties. As Mendocino County is notorious for its liberal stance regarding medical marijuana, it was hypothesized by the researchers that social workers practicing in Mendocino County would be more supportive of working with clients who use marijuana; however, results indicated that the opposite was true and Sacramento County social workers were more supportive in actuality. This study reinforces the importance of additional research on this topic. Implications for social work practice and policy are also discussed.