Last updated on: 12/30/2011 | Author: ProCon.org

Roger A. Roffman, DSW Biography

Title:
Professor Emeritus of Social Work at University of Washington
Position:
Pro to the question "Should Marijuana Be a Medical Option?"
Reasoning:

“I believe that we have two realities occurring with medical marijuana today. We have a lot of people like Corky Hapeman, genuinely, authentically benefiting from the use of marijuana as a medicine to help with a whole variety of medical conditions that are not ideally treated by the drugs that can be prescribed through pharmacies. But I think it’s also the case that an enormous amount of scamming is going on and that a good number of people are going to physicians, paying some money to get an authorization, and using these dispensaries simply as a way of avoiding getting arrested. And I guess I have to say, well why not? If the system is there and it permits it, I’m not sure I want to judge it.”

“A Sensible Approach to Marijuana Legislation, youtube.com, June 2, 2011
Involvement and Affiliations:
  • Professor, Social Work, University of Washington, 1995-Oct. 1, 2009
  • Director, Innovative Programs Research Group (IPRG), University of Washington, 1987-2009
  • National Drug Strategy Fellow, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (Sydney, Australia), 1997
  • Visiting Scientist, Institute of Psychology, Czech Academy of Sciences, 1983
  • Acting Director, Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1974-1975
  • Assistant Professor, Social Work, University of Washington, 1973-1979
  • Associate in Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley, 1970-1971
  • Head Resident, Deutsch Hall, University of California at Berkeley, 1969-1970
  • Assistant Chief, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 1968-1969
  • Consultant, University Nursing Home, 1968-1969
  • Lecturer, Sociology, University College at Andrews Air Force Base, 1968
  • Psychiatric Social Worker, 9th Infantry Division, US Army, Vietnam, 1967
  • Lecturer, Sociology, Ohio University, 1965
  • Social Worker, Federal Bureau of Prisons, US Department of Justice Federal Penitentiary, 1963
Education:
  • DSW (Doctorate in Social Work), University of California at Berkeley, 1983
  • MSW, University of Michigan, 1965
  • BA, Boston University, Psychology, 1963
Other:
  • His wife, Professor Emeritus Cheryl Richey, served on the University of Washington faculty for 29 years