Edible gummies perceived as healthier and more appealing than other cannabis products in packaging experiments | Research

The takeaway

In five experiments with 841 adults, edible cannabis gummies were perceived as healthier and more socially acceptable than concentrates, and health claims on packages produced positive feelings, while health warnings had minimal effect.

Cannabis regulators, packaging policymakers, public health officials, and marketing researchers.

Health claims boosted positive feelings; health warnings had minimal effect

What the researchers found

Edible gummies were perceived as healthier, less "grown up," and more socially acceptable than concentrates. Interest in trying gummies was significantly higher. Cannabis packages with a "helps you relax" health claim elicited more positive feelings. Visual displays of THC content and health warnings had minimal effects on perceptions.

Why it matters

As cannabis becomes a consumer product, packaging shapes perceptions. The finding that edibles are perceived as healthier and that health claims produce positive feelings suggests packaging regulation needs to account for these effects.

The numbers in context

841 adults (49% male, 50% young adults, 44% White, 17% Hispanic). Gummies vs. concentrates: healthier (beta 0.32), more socially acceptable (beta 0.30), more interest in trying (beta 1.33). "Helps you relax" claim: happier (beta 0.34), better feelings (beta 0.37).

How the study worked

Five online between-subjects experiments (April 2021) with 841 US adults. Experiments randomized participants to view different cannabis types, THC content displays, brand personalities, health warnings, and health claims. Measured cognitive, affective, and behavioral responses.

What this study cannot tell us

Online experiment. Hypothetical purchase intentions. US adults may not represent other populations. Short-term perception changes may not predict actual behavior. Five separate experiments with multiple comparisons.

How to read the evidence

Five randomized experiments with large combined sample and appropriate statistical methods.

When this study was published

Published in 2022, experiments conducted April 2021.

The bigger picture

If health claims on cannabis packages make consumers feel good about the product while health warnings have minimal impact, the current regulatory approach may be ineffective at communicating risk.

Questions still open

Should health claims be banned from cannabis packaging? Are edibles genuinely perceived as less risky, or does gummy candy framing create false safety perceptions?

Common questions

Do people think edible cannabis is safer?

Yes. In these experiments, edible gummies were perceived as healthier and more socially acceptable than concentrates, and participants showed significantly more interest in trying them.

Do cannabis health warnings work?

Health warnings on cannabis packages had minimal effects on perceptions in these experiments, while health claims like "helps you relax" actually boosted positive feelings about the product.

Read the original research

The Impact of Cannabis Packaging Characteristics on Perceptions and Intentions.

American journal of preventive medicine, 63(5), 751-759

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Kowitt, Sarah D; Yockey, R Andrew; Lee, Joseph G L; Jarman, Kristen L; Gourdet, Camille Kempf; Ranney, Leah M. (2022). The Impact of Cannabis Packaging Characteristics on Perceptions and Intentions.. American journal of preventive medicine, 63(5), 751-759. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2022.04.030