Discussion Question: Controversial Topics in Human Services

Research published viewpoints, found in no fewer than two scholarly sources or other credible sources, regarding the pros and cons of legalization of marijuana from the perspective of the human services discipline and profession. Based on these sources, your required readings on controversial issues and marijuana legalization, and reflections on your values and ethics, write an initial post to the forum identifying and evaluating one or more implications of this issue for the provision of human services.

Then, apply these reflections to a fictional or real (if you happen to know of one) case study concerning a human services client who is a heavy marijuana user. Specify gender, age, and related environmental and personal issues and circumstances, such as: Is this a legalized state? Is the client’s use related to a medical and/or psychological need? How is the client claiming to get the money for the marijuana?

In your initial post, address the following:

• Describe how the issue of legalization and its controversial character affect your professional responsibilities broadly and your practice with regard to the client.
• Provide one or more examples describing how you, as a human services provider, would act in response to specific scenarios that might come up in practice, assessing how social factors, legal factors, and/or the larger moral context might create tensions or a conflict with respect to values.
• Tie in this scenario (or scenarios) with conceptual discussions and arguments put forth in your sources, describing how your (fictional or actual) experience is informed and explained by the literature and this week’s readings.