Let me be blunt: there’s a massive opportunity in mental health care that most providers are missing when it comes to cannabis.
As a licensed professional counselor, cannabis educator for the past 15 years, and cannabis patient myself, I’ve witnessed what’s possible when providers have the right education. I’ve also seen the damage that ignorance causes, clients shutting down in sessions, misdiagnoses that tear families apart, and providers fumbling through conversations about the most widely used substance in the nation. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
Cannabis education isn’t a “nice to have” for mental health professionals. It’s essential for anyone serious about providing ethical, culturally responsive care. Here’s why.
1. Cannabis Education is Public Health Education—And We’re Behind
Cannabis is more accessible than ever, and our communities deserve better than fear-mongering or silence. Remember how the opioid crisis was handled with scare tactics instead of education? We can’t repeat that mistake. Cannabis education must come from a place of empowerment, not panic. Our clients need us to know what we’re talking about.
2. Therapists Are Often the Most Frequent Healthcare Touchpoint
Mental health therapists typically see clients weekly, biweekly, or monthly—far more than primary care doctors or psychiatrists. This positions therapists uniquely to support clients who consume cannabis and to notice patterns, concerns, or opportunities for harm reduction that other providers might miss. That frequency matters when it comes to truly understanding how cannabis fits into someone’s life and wellness.
3. Non-Judgmental Care Requires Education
The code of ethics for mental health professionals demands the creation of safe, nonjudgmental spaces. But let’s be real: it’s nearly impossible to be nonjudgmental about something you don’t understand. Without cannabis education, providers can perpetuate harm through misinformation, inappropriate diagnoses, and broken trust. Clients feel it, and they remember it.
4. The Wrong Diagnosis Can Destroy Lives
Here’s what many providers don’t realize: cannabis use, cannabis abuse, cannabis dependence, and cannabis addiction are NOT the same thing. They’re distinct clinical concepts with vastly different implications. Get it wrong, and a client could face incarceration, lose custody of their children, or be forced into unnecessary treatment programs. Countless clients have shared stories of being too afraid to disclose their cannabis use because of what happened the last time they were honest with a provider. That fear is a barrier to healing.
5. This Ain’t the Same Weed From Back in the Day
THC levels are skyrocketing. Cannabis today is more potent than it’s ever been, and with higher potency comes higher risk—including overdose. Yes, cannabis overdose is real. The weed your clients might remember from the ’70s, ’80s, or even early 2000s? That’s not what’s on dispensary shelves now. Understanding modern cannabis products and their potency is essential for having informed conversations.
6. Cannabis IS Medicine for Mental Health
Cannabis is FDA approved for PTSD, autism, and schizophrenia. It’s also being used therapeutically for eating disorders, depression, anxiety, and ADHD. Mental health providers have an opportunity to help clients use cannabis safely and effectively—bridging the gap between traditional treatment and plant-based healing. But that requires knowledge and skill.
7. Honoring Ancestral Wisdom and Healing Traditions
Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities have been harmed for generations by both the criminalization of cannabis and the failures of Western medicine. These communities also carry deep ancestral wisdom about plant-based healing that predates modern healthcare systems. When someone says they’d rather use cannabis than psychiatric medication, that’s not “resistance to treatment”—that’s an informed choice rooted in cultural knowledge and lived experience. Supporting that choice means honoring their autonomy and the wisdom they carry.
8. Cannabis Could Literally Save Lives
Clients navigating PCOS, endometriosis, fibroids, cancer, AIDS, and other conditions face both physical and mental health challenges. Many of these are also qualified conditions for medical marijuana programs. Cannabis can alleviate physical symptoms, which then reduces psychological distress. Sometimes, it’s the difference between functioning and not. Between hope and despair. Mental health providers need to understand how to support this intersection of physical and mental wellness.
9. Risk Assessment Requires Cannabis Literacy
Emergency room visits for cannabis overdose are rising, and youth are particularly vulnerable because their brains are still developing. Conducting thorough risk assessments and safety planning without understanding cannabis means working with incomplete information. That gap can be dangerous for the clients providers are trying to help.
10. Cannabis Education IS Anti-Racist Work
Here’s the truth that should radicalize every single one of us: Black and Brown people don’t use cannabis more than white people, but they’re criminalized for it at astronomically higher rates. For centuries, cannabis has been colonized, weaponized, and used as a tool of oppression. When providers refuse to educate themselves about cannabis, they become complicit in a system designed to harm Black and Brown communities. Education is liberation.
So what now?
I offer two continuing education trainings designed to close this gap: Plant Based Healing: Mental Health and Cannabis and Black Youth & Cannabis: A Cry for Help. These trainings provide the clinical knowledge, cultural context, and practical tools needed to support clients who use cannabis—competently, ethically, and without causing harm.
Ready to transform your practice? Follow me for honest, evidence-based content on cannabis and mental health. Sign up for my newsletter for clinical insights, training announcements, and the real talk our field needs. Let’s build a generation of providers who know what they’re doing when it comes to cannabis.
Your clients are waiting.
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