Cannabis Advertising Was Associated With 77% Higher Odds of Cannabis Use
Meta-analysis of 21 studies found cannabis advertising exposure associated with 77% higher odds of use, with internet/social media showing the strongest link.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Overall aOR=1.77 (95% CI 1.32-2.30). Internet/social media: aOR=3.38 (1.07-10.66). General advertising: aOR=1.67 (1.27-2.21). Storefront: aOR=1.25 (NS). All studies from US/Canada.
Key Numbers
21 studies, 10 in meta-analysis. Overall: aOR=1.77. Social media: aOR=3.38. General: aOR=1.67. Storefront: aOR=1.25 (NS). I2=42.3%.
How They Did This
Systematic review and meta-analysis of 21 studies. Random-effects models. 10 cross-sectional studies in pooled analysis.
Why This Research Matters
As cannabis markets expand advertising, understanding the use-advertising relationship is critical for regulation.
The Bigger Picture
Social media finding is critical given younger demographics are most active online and most vulnerable to cannabis harms.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Mostly cross-sectional (86%). Only US/Canada. Self-reported. Cannot establish causation.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should cannabis social media advertising be restricted like tobacco?
- ?Would bans reduce use?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Internet/social media cannabis advertising: 3.38x higher odds of use
- Evidence Grade:
- Meta-analysis of mostly cross-sectional studies from two countries.
- Study Age:
- 2026 meta-analysis
- Original Title:
- A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported exposure to cannabis advertising and its association with cannabis use and intentions.
- Published In:
- Addiction (Abingdon, England) (2026)
- Authors:
- McClure-Thomas, Caitlin(2), Yimer, Tesfa, Strong, Caroline, Sun, Tianze, Hall, Wayne D, Chan, Gary Chung Kai, Connor, Jason P, Leung, Janni
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08475
Evidence Hierarchy
Combines results from multiple studies to find an overall pattern.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Does advertising cause cannabis use?
The meta-analysis found a consistent association, but mostly cross-sectional studies cannot prove causation.
Which advertising type had strongest effect?
Internet/social media (3.38x odds). Storefront/sidewalk was not significantly associated.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08475APA
McClure-Thomas, Caitlin; Yimer, Tesfa; Strong, Caroline; Sun, Tianze; Hall, Wayne D; Chan, Gary Chung Kai; Connor, Jason P; Leung, Janni. (2026). A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported exposure to cannabis advertising and its association with cannabis use and intentions.. Addiction (Abingdon, England). https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70310
MLA
McClure-Thomas, Caitlin, et al. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported exposure to cannabis advertising and its association with cannabis use and intentions.." Addiction (Abingdon, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1111/add.70310
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A systematic review and meta-analysis of self-reported expos..." RTHC-08475. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/mcclure-thomas-2026-a-systematic-review-and
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.