Cannabis StigmaReduction Guide
Menu

Practice library

Realistic cases build better judgment.

Easy examples only teach us to spot an insult. These cases help you keep real concerns in view, find missing facts, and notice when a character judgment has been added.

Six practice cases

Choose a setting.

You do not need to share anything personal. Every case is fictional and meant for learning, not professional advice.

Workplace01

The warehouse conversation

A supervisor smells cannabis near an employee before the employee begins a safety-sensitive shift. The employee says the smell is from a jacket worn the previous evening. No performance check has yet occurred.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • Whether the employee used cannabis recently
  • Whether the employee is impaired
  • What the workplace safety-check process requires
One clearer response
“This job involves safety risks. Let's use the usual safety-check process and record what it shows instead of assuming impairment from smell alone.”
Work through with CLEAR
Health care02

The sharing question

A patient seeking care for recurring nausea reports using cannabis most evenings and says it helps with sleep. The clinician writes ‘admits marijuana abuse’ before asking about dose, timing, frequency, other symptoms, or the patient’s goals.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • Dose, product, route, duration, and timing
  • Whether use is related to nausea or other symptoms
  • Whether there are signs that the use is causing problems
One clearer response
“Patient reports using cannabis most evenings and says it improves sleep. More questions are needed about dose, timing, product, effects, risks, and possible links to nausea.”
Work through with CLEAR
Housing03

Smoke entering the next unit

A tenant regularly smokes cannabis on a balcony. A neighbour reports smoke entering their child’s bedroom through an open window. The tenant says cannabis is legal and calls the complaint discriminatory.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • What the building policy and tenancy law require
  • The frequency and degree of smoke transfer
  • Whether practical alternatives or disability-related supports are available
One clearer response
“The issue is smoke entering another home. We need to establish the pattern, apply the same smoke rule consistently, and explore a practical way to prevent exposure.”
Work through with CLEAR
Family & parenting04

Cannabis in an unlocked drawer

A parent keeps edible cannabis in an unlocked bedside drawer in a home with a young child. A relative says this proves that cannabis users are irresponsible parents.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • Whether the child can access the drawer
  • Whether safer storage is immediately available
  • Whether this is an isolated oversight or repeated pattern
One clearer response
“Edible cannabis needs to be secured where the child cannot access it. Let’s correct the storage risk now without turning one decision into a judgment about the parent’s entire character.”
Work through with CLEAR
Family & parenting05

The adult child at dinner

An adult tells their family that they sometimes use cannabis on weekends. A relative responds, ‘I knew you were getting lazy. This is how harder drugs start.’ No change in the person’s work, health, or relationships has been identified.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • Pattern, product, dose, and context of use
  • Why the relative made the connection to laziness
  • Whether the adult wants advice or only to share information
One clearer response
“I have concerns because of what I learned about cannabis growing up. Could you tell me what your use looks like, and we can talk about any specific risks rather than assume what it means about you?”
Work through with CLEAR
Cannabis business06

The confident medical claim

A retailer advertises a cannabis product as a proven treatment for anxiety and tells customers it is safer than prescription medication. A critic calls the marketing irresponsible.

Preview the thinking
What we still do not know
  • The exact product and evidence behind the claim
  • Applicable advertising and health-claim rules
  • Whether staff provide cautions or referral to clinical care
One clearer response
“This advertisement compares treatments without showing enough evidence or uncertainty. The business should change the claim and follow the rules that apply.”
Work through with CLEAR

The method

Behaviour → facts → situation → result.

Each case may point to stigma, a real concern, both at once, or a need for more information. What matters is whether the thinking is clear and the response fits the situation.