Problem: As a student, how do you respond to this classmate of yours, including in text citation and references
Although marijuana is legal in many states across the U.S., it still needs to be carefully evaluated from a clinical perspective especially when viewed in the context of co-occurring substance use disorders (SUDs). Marijuana is a mind-altering substance that can have negative effects on cognition, memory, income, social and family relationships, and overall health and well-being (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2024). Farelly et al., (2023) claims some clinical issues that can present themselves are that physical issues such as cardiovascular disease and mental issues such as psychosis have been linked directed to recreational marijuana use, including the development of Cannabis Use Disorder (CUD). Efforts that can help to prevent developing a cannabis use disorder include psychoeducation efforts, family and community involvement, and open dialogue (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2026). Knowing the risks of psychosis and developing a CUD would be especially valuable for preventing abuse of the substance.
If I had a client who was addicted to narcotics and alcohol who was also using cannabis to deal with chronic pain, I would take a harm reduction approach and focus on the narcotics and alcohol abuse before ever addressing the CUD, as this is least likely to pose a serious threat to mental or physical health out of the three; I would make sure to do this while also providing psychoeducation on the dangers so as not to leave a client without the necessary information about the potential danger they are in by continuing, specifically in regard to impairment when operating a motor vehicle and the risk of developing a dependence or experiencing psychosis (National Institute on Drug Abuse, 2024). A personal note here is that I have bias for the use of marijuana, medically or recreationally, for pain reduction specifically as I have an aunt who was denied medication before marijuana was legal; she was stuck in a cycle of not being able to get her prescribed pain medicine because she could not completely reduce her marijuana use, which she was doing as a self-medication effort following multiple amputations. She committed suicide because of the chronic pain, and I believe if marijuana had been legal at the time she would still be alive.
The flexibility disposition as noted in Grand Canyon University's (2022) list of necessary dispositions requires for the counselor to be willing to deviate from the originally intended treatment path to explore potential avenues that could benefit the client. This could connect in a similar situation to the prompt, where ideally the counselor might want to tackle the full range of substance abuse exhibited by the client, but may need to be flexible and focus on the more severe addictions first in order to prioritize the client's wellbeing. Crisis management is necessary in order to assess relapse potential, identify and evaluate suicidal ideation, and focus on the most urgent needs; collaboration with other professionals, including peers and clinical supervisors, is important when faced with a dilemma the counselor might see as making a compromise, or to determine if a harm reduction or "all or nothing" approach is better for a specific client (Capuzzi & Stauffer, 2024). Need Assignment Help?