Case Design: Rationale For Case Study Design?

Rationale for Case Study Design This thesis utilized a case study design which meets Creswell 's (1989) definition of a case study: “Case studies are an exploration of a ‘bounded system’ of a case [utilizing] in-depth data collection involving sources of information rich in context” (p. 61). This case study was exploratory with the intent to determine what, if any, parts of the current individual state medical marijuana policies relate to the recommendation and distribution of medical marijuana among vulnerable populations. The boundaries of the case are restricted to the state and federal policies affecting medial marijuana recommendation and distribution in relation to vulnerable populations in New York, Minnesota, and California. The sources of data—the individual state and federal medical marijuana policies and in-depth qualitative interviews—are rich in context. Using a case study design for this mode of inquiry was appropriate because “the essence of a case study . . . is that it tries to illuminate a decision or set of decisions: why they were taken, how they were implemented, and with what result” (Schramm, 1971, as cited in Yin, 2014, p.13). As the policy-making process is ultimately a result of a series of decisions, the decisions made in formation of the individual …show more content…
This case study examined the medical marijuana policies from three states: New York, Minnesota, and California. New York was selected because it is where I, as a practitioner, currently work working with individuals with mental illnesses. Because New York has strict medical marijuana laws, Minnesota was selected as its medical marijuana laws are most similar to New York. To provide contrast, California was selected because it has the some of the most liberal medical marijuana laws to date.
Policy Analysis