Reframing Cannabis in Social Work and Public Health
From Prohibition to Equity
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 21834940 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Pauline Smith (0000-0003-0744-6403, Morgan State University, corresponding author), LCSW-C Paulette S Smith (0009-0006-5665-7337, Morgan State University) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Volume | 41 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 130-134 |
| Publication date | 2026-02-17 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | No |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Social Work in Public Health (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1937-190X • E-ISSN: 1937-1918 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/19371918.2025.2573380 |
| PMID | 41063514 |
| OpenAlex | W4414973512 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 19 |
This commentary reframes cannabis prohibition as both a public health crisis and a social justice imperative, arguing that neutrality is not an option for social work. Despite the expansion of legalization across the United States, the racialized harms of prohibition persist, disproportionately affecting Black and Brown communities through arrests, stigma, and structural barriers. Within the profession, cannabis has historically been constructed almost exclusively as a harmful substance, leaving its therapeutic potential, equity implications, and policy consequences largely unaddressed. These silences perpetuate stigma in practice and risk reproducing systemic inequities. Drawing on public health, legal, and social work literature, this commentary emphasizes the ethical mandate - grounded in dignity, justice, and integrity - that compels social workers to engage in this work. It outlines implications for education, practice, and policy, including curriculum reform, stigma reduction, harm reduction, continuing education, policy advocacy, and intersectional practice. By engaging cannabis justice directly, social work can advance health equity and fulfill its ethical commitments in an evolving policy landscape
Cannabis · Cognitive reframing · Harm · Legalization · Mandate · Public policy · Social policy · Cannabis and Cannabinoid Research · Community Health and Development · Homelessness and Social Issues · Social Work
A Systematic Review of Trends in US Attitudes toward Cannabis Legalization
Centering Racial Equity in a BSW Program
Exploring the intersections of LGBTQ experience and social work education
Social workers’ policy engagement
Race and Inequality in the War on Drugs
The Learning Institute
Bounded Equity
Cannabis Equity Initiatives
Moral Panic and Social Justice
The Social Construction of Cannabis in Social Work
The War on Drugs, Racial Meanings, and Structural Racism
| Citation velocity | historical |
|---|---|
| Highly cited | No |