Cannabis Advertising Uses Tobacco Industry Playbook, Review Finds | Research

The takeaway

A review of U.S. cannabis advertising research found the industry uses marketing tactics proven effective for tobacco, with widespread youth exposure and associations with increased use.

Cannabis regulators, public health advocates, marketing and media researchers

Cannabis marketing uses tobacco-proven tactics; youth exposure is widespread

What the researchers found

Cannabis is marketed through price promotions, storefront signage, social media, and billboards using tactics known to increase tobacco use. Youth and adult exposure is common. Several studies found associations between cannabis marketing exposure and cannabis use, though causal evidence remains limited.

Why it matters

The tobacco industry spent decades perfecting marketing techniques that drive product use. Finding these same tactics in cannabis advertising is a red flag for public health, especially regarding youth.

The numbers in context

Review covers 22 states with adult-use legalization and 16 additional with medical. Advertising channels include storefront signage, social media, billboards. Youth exposure documented across multiple studies.

How the study worked

Narrative review summarizing research across three domains: content of cannabis advertising, prevalence of exposure, and effects on user perceptions and behavior in the U.S.

What this study cannot tell us

Narrative review without systematic methodology. Most included studies are correlational. Cannabis advertising landscape is evolving rapidly and varies by state. Limited causal evidence.

How to read the evidence

Comprehensive narrative review of a growing evidence base, but most underlying studies are correlational.

When this study was published

2025 review capturing the current U.S. cannabis advertising landscape.

The bigger picture

The U.S. has no federal cannabis advertising regulations, and state regulations vary widely. This review provides the evidence base needed to argue for advertising restrictions, particularly those protecting youth.

Questions still open

Should cannabis advertising be regulated like tobacco? Which specific marketing restrictions would most effectively reduce youth exposure? Are current state regulations adequate?

Common questions

How is cannabis advertised?

Through many of the same channels and tactics used for tobacco: price promotions, storefront signage, social media, billboards, and unsubstantiated health claims. Youth exposure is documented across multiple channels.

Does cannabis advertising increase use?

Several studies found associations between exposure to cannabis advertising and cannabis use, though studies designed to prove causation are still limited. The pattern mirrors what has been seen with tobacco advertising.

Read the original research

A Narrative Review of Research on Cannabis Advertising in the United States.

Current addiction reports, 12(1), 92

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Moran, Meghan Bridgid; Tharmarajah, Saraniya; Czaplicki, Lauren; Thrul, Johannes; Spindle, Tory R; Vandrey, Ryan; Pearson, Jennifer L; Zamarripa, C Austin. (2025). A Narrative Review of Research on Cannabis Advertising in the United States.. Current addiction reports, 12(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40429-025-00703-1