Cannabis Marketing and Law Enforcement Target Minority Communities Differently
Black, Hispanic, transgender, and sexual minority young adults perceived more unfair cannabis law enforcement and greater industry targeting, with intersectional identities amplifying these disparities.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Black, Hispanic, transgender, nonbinary, and sexual minority individuals perceived more unfair cannabis possession treatment. Black and Hispanic individuals had more exposure to cannabis ads and risk information. Intersectional effects were strong: Black transgender and Black sexual minority individuals showed particularly pronounced perceptions of unfair possession treatment.
Key Numbers
4,031 participants. Black transgender individuals showed particularly strong perceptions of unfair possession treatment (slope=-0.60). Black sexual minority individuals also showed amplified effects (slope=-0.18). Black individuals had more cannabis ad exposure, perceived more targeted marketing.
How They Did This
Online survey of 4,031 US young adults (18-34) recruited via Facebook in 2023. Multivariable linear regressions examined gender, sexual orientation, race, and ethnicity across five outcomes related to cannabis law enforcement and marketing perceptions, including moderation analyses.
Why This Research Matters
Cannabis legalization hasn't eliminated racial and gender disparities — it may have reshaped them through marketing. Understanding who is disproportionately targeted by industry advertising and law enforcement helps design more equitable cannabis policies.
The Bigger Picture
The cannabis industry's marketing practices may be creating new health disparities even as legalization reduces old ones. The intersection of race, gender identity, and sexuality creates compounding effects that single-identity analyses would miss.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Facebook recruitment may not be fully representative. Self-reported perceptions may not accurately reflect actual marketing or enforcement patterns. Cross-sectional design limits causal inference. Social desirability may affect reporting.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should cannabis marketing regulations explicitly address equity?
- ?Are industry targeting practices intentional or incidental?
- ?How do marketing disparities translate to actual use patterns and health outcomes?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large sample with intersectional analysis using validated measures, limited by Facebook recruitment and self-reported perceptions.
- Study Age:
- Published 2026 using 2023 survey data.
- Original Title:
- Disparities in Exposure to Cannabis Marketing and Perceptions of Inequalities in Possession Treatment: Differences Across Intersections of Sociodemographic Subgroups.
- Published In:
- Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities (2026)
- Authors:
- LoParco, Cassidy R(26), Romm, Katelyn F(14), Cui, Yuxian(13), Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A, Berg, Carla J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08442
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Are cannabis companies targeting minority communities?
Black and Hispanic young adults in this study reported more exposure to cannabis advertisements and perceived more targeted marketing by the cannabis industry. Whether this reflects intentional targeting or geographic ad placement patterns requires further research.
Has cannabis legalization eliminated racial disparities?
No — while the nature of disparities is shifting, Black, Hispanic, and LGBTQ+ young adults still perceive more unfair cannabis law enforcement and greater industry targeting, with intersecting identities like Black transgender amplifying these effects.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08442APA
LoParco, Cassidy R; Romm, Katelyn F; Cui, Yuxian; Cavazos-Rehg, Patricia A; Berg, Carla J. (2026). Disparities in Exposure to Cannabis Marketing and Perceptions of Inequalities in Possession Treatment: Differences Across Intersections of Sociodemographic Subgroups.. Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-02866-7
MLA
LoParco, Cassidy R, et al. "Disparities in Exposure to Cannabis Marketing and Perceptions of Inequalities in Possession Treatment: Differences Across Intersections of Sociodemographic Subgroups.." Journal of racial and ethnic health disparities, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40615-026-02866-7
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Disparities in Exposure to Cannabis Marketing and Perception..." RTHC-08442. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/loparco-2026-disparities-in-exposure-to
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.