An eye-tracking experiment found that cannabis warning labels with specific health consequence text significantly outperformed generic text in capturing attention and helping young adults recognize risks.
Policymakers designing cannabis regulations and public health professionals working on cannabis risk communication.
Specific text outperformed generic text on both sustained attention and risk recognition
What the researchers found
Labels with specific text about health consequences held attention longer and improved risk recognition compared to generic warnings. Adding vivid imagery further increased attention but did not significantly improve recognition beyond specific text alone. Pictograms increased attention compared to generic text but less than vivid imagery.
Why it matters
Current cannabis warning labels are often dense, generic, and text-only. As cannabis products proliferate, designing effective warnings that actually capture attention and communicate risk is a public health priority.
The numbers in context
163 young adult participants across 4 conditions. Specific text significantly outperformed generic text on both fixation duration and recognition scores. Vivid imagery enhanced attention beyond specific text. Pictograms enhanced attention but less than vivid imagery. Neither pictorial type improved recognition beyond specific text.
How the study worked
Eye-tracking experiment with 163 young adults randomly assigned to view cannabis warning labels with: (1) generic text, (2) specific text, (3) specific text with pictogram, or (4) specific text with vivid imagery. Attention measured by fixation duration; recognition assessed via post-exposure memory test with signal detection.
What this study cannot tell us
Lab-based eye-tracking may not reflect real-world label viewing. Young adult sample may not generalize to all consumers. Short exposure period does not capture repeated viewing effects. Recognition was tested immediately, not long-term retention.
How to read the evidence
Moderate: randomized experimental design with objective eye-tracking measures, though lab setting limits ecological validity.
When this study was published
2025 study.
The bigger picture
These findings parallel decades of tobacco warning research showing that concrete, specific messages outperform vague warnings. As cannabis markets mature, evidence-based label design could become a key regulatory tool.
Questions still open
- Would these findings hold in real dispensary settings? Do specific warnings actually change purchasing or consumption behavior? Should cannabis labels include graphic images as some tobacco labels do?
Common questions
Do pictures on cannabis labels help?
What makes a cannabis warning label effective?
Read the original research
Visual attention and memory retention of cannabis warning labels: an eye-tracking experiment with young adults.
Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1)
Citation
Liu, Jiaying; Mi, Ranran Z; Jeon, Moonsun; Fabbricatore, Jessica L; Wicke, Rebekah; Cojulun, Lauren Raquel; Yang, Sijia. (2025). Visual attention and memory retention of cannabis warning labels: an eye-tracking experiment with young adults.. Annals of behavioral medicine : a publication of the Society of Behavioral Medicine, 59(1). https://doi.org/10.1093/abm/kaaf094
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