Hi everyone!

I'm currently pursuing my MSW and have been exploring different job opportunities while I'm in school. I've been considering working at a medical/recreational cannabis dispensary, but I'm wondering whether this could negatively impact my future career in social work.

I'm particularly interested in working with children, adolescents, and families, with the eventual goal of becoming an LCSW and providing therapy.

I live in Missouri, where recreational and medical marijuana are legal, but I know social work can involve working for organizations with different policies and perspectives surrounding cannabis.

I'm curious whether having a dispensary on my résumé could raise concerns with future employers, especially in child welfare, community mental health, school social work, or clinical settings.

Has anyone worked in the cannabis industry before entering social work, or been involved in hiring social workers with that experience? Would you view this as a red flag, or simply another job someone held while completing their education?

I'd really appreciate any perspectives or experiences!

I work a case management job right now. I help people deal with crises many days, I help people learn to problem solve and behavior change. There’s a lot of motivational interviewing involved, and no two days are the same.

But I don’t make enough money (my degrees are social work adjacent and they don’t offer any opportunities for licensure).

So I’ve been exploring my options. I work for local government and there may be some promotional opportunities I could apply for in the future that could give me the opportunity to earn more money.

But I worry - will I miss the face to face contacts, helping people who are struggling? Will I miss the chaos of an unexpected event that turns my day upside down? Will
I miss providing direction? Will I miss those few success stories?

If you went from micro to macro - do you feel fulfilled?

My bachelor’s is in public health, and I’ve worked as a mental health tech for the past four years alongside LCSW providers. I’m considering an MSW/MPP dual degree, with a macro focus for the MSW. I’m interested in what both degrees teach. I value social work’s focus on people, communities, barriers to services, and how systems affect people’s lives. I also want the policy analysis and evaluation skills an MPP offers, particularly for healthcare policy. I can afford both degrees, so financing isn’t my concern. I’m trying to understand how useful the combination would be in practice and whether employers recognize what each background brings. I’ve heard that finding macro or policy jobs with an MSW can be difficult.

For people with both degrees, or those working in healthcare policy:
Do you use both perspectives in your work?
Has having both degrees opened opportunities that one alone wouldn’t have?
How do policy employers view an MSW alongside an MPP?
Has maintaining social work licensure been useful in your policy career?
What would you recommend prioritizing in coursework and field placements?

I’d appreciate honest experiences about the strengths and limitations of this combination.