Reframing Cannabis in Social Work and Public Health: From Prohibition to Equity.

Abstract

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.