Medical Marijuana: Current Issues for Mental Health Providers

PRESENTERS: Franca S. Posner | fsposner@gmail.com & Linda Friskey | lindafriskey@comcast.net

Category: Cat 1 | CE Credit Hours: 3.0

OBJECTIVES:

1. Participants will gain understanding of current laws regulating marijuana in the context of previous laws regarding marijuana with particular focus on Maryland, Washington DC, and Virginia.
   
2. Participants will gain understanding of the range of benefits clients can receive from use of medical marijuana.
   
3. Participants will gain understanding of the risks and possible ethical dilemmas related to client’s use of medical marijuana.
   
4. Participants will clarify personal and professional values and biases regarding the use of medical marijuana.
   
5. Participants will demonstrate an emerging mastery of terminology related to medical marijuana.
   
6. Participants will demonstrate an emerging understanding of where medical marijuana fits into a public health framework.
   

DESCRIPTION:

This workshop will be presented by Linda Friskey, LCSW-C and Franca Posner, LCSW-C. This workshop should be attended by mental health professionals working in the Greater Washington area who wish to stay abreast of the rapidly changing laws, regulations, and attitudes regarding the use of medical marijuana for treatment of health and mental health conditions. Timely information about current status of laws and regulations for the Greater Washington DC area (DC, MD, and VA) will be presented, as well as an overview of a nationwide picture of where medical marijuana is legal, as well as where it is not. Potential therapeutic use and benefits of medical marijuana will be discussed. Potential risks associated with use will also be addressed. Potential for ethical dilemmas related to clinician's role in providing information or guidance to clients will be explored. Clinicians will gain knowledge of how to guide clients to information and resources. A glossary of terms and definitions as well as a bibliography will be provided.

This workshop is appropriate for social workers and other mental health professionals at the following levels:

Beginner: Beginning clinicians will have an opportunity to learn the history of laws regulating use of marijuana, and recent changes such as shifting attitudes and changing laws regarding the use of medical marijuana. Opportunity will be provided to explore how their own thoughts and feelings about this topic influence their thoughts and feelings about addressing it in a therapeutic or community setting.

Intermediate: Intermediate level clinicians who have developed through professional experiences will be able to learn the history of laws regulating use of marijuana, and the changes such as shifting attitudes and changing laws regarding the use of medical marijuana. Opportunity will be provided to share clinical scenarios related to clinical cases, and explore barriers to client services such as ethical dilemmas, including how their own thoughts and feelings about this topic influence their thoughts and feelings about addressing medical marijuana use in a therapeutic or community setting.

SPECIFIC AGENDA:

8:30 AM - 9:00 AM | Registration
9:00 - 9:20 AM | Introduction of Topic, Learning Objectives
9:20 - 10:20 AM | History of laws and regulations regarding marijuana and medical marijuana, through 2016
10:20 - 10:40 AM | Break
10:40 - 11:40 AM | Good News Bad News: Potential Benefits and Risks of Medical Marijuana
11:40 - 12:30 PM | Ethical Issues to Consider

RECOMMENDED BOOKS/BIBLIOGRAPHY:

• Bultman, L, & Kingsley,K. Medical Cannabis Primer for Healthcare Professionals. Minneapolis, Minnesota: Minnesota Medical Solutions.
  
• Philipsen, N., Butler, R., Simon-Waterman, C., & Artis, J. (n.d.). Medical Marijuana: A Primer on Ethics, Evidence, and Politics. The Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 633-640.
  
• Thompson, A. (2015). Medical Marijuana. JAMA, 2508-2508.
  
• The National Conference of State Legislatures, State Medical Marijuana Laws, (2016).
  
• The National Institute on Drug Abuse, Drug Facts: Is Marijuana Medicine? Rev.(2015).