Cannabis Edible Packaging Borrows Marketing Tricks from the Food Industry
A content analysis of 1,229 cannabis edible packages found widespread use of health-oriented descriptors like "vegan" and "natural," food imagery, and experience-based marketing that could mislead consumers about the product inside.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Health-related descriptors appeared on 31% of packages (e.g., "vegan," "gluten free," "natural"), quality descriptors on 28% ("handcrafted"), expected effects on 27% ("relax"), taste/flavor language on 21%, and pharmacokinetic claims on 19% ("fast-acting"). Images of food appeared on 43% of packages, non-cannabis plants on 50%, and the cannabis plant itself on only 33%.
Key Numbers
1,229 packages analyzed; 31% had health descriptors; 28% had quality descriptors; 27% listed expected effects; 43% included food imagery; only 33% showed the cannabis plant.
How They Did This
Descriptive content analysis of 1,229 cannabis edible packages advertised on a publicly available website between June and November 2022, all available for sale in licensed US dispensaries.
Why This Research Matters
When edible packaging emphasizes "natural" ingredients and food imagery while downplaying cannabis content, consumers may underestimate what they are actually consuming.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis edible marketing has adopted the same strategies used by processed food companies to signal health and quality. The disconnect between packaging that looks like premium snack food and a product that delivers THC raises legitimate public health questions.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Analyzed packages from one website, which may not represent all US markets. Did not assess consumer perceptions or behavior.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do health-oriented descriptors on cannabis edibles actually reduce consumer perception of risk?
- ?How do cannabis edible packaging regulations differ across states?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 31% of edible packages used health descriptors like "vegan" and "natural"
- Evidence Grade:
- Systematic content analysis with clear methodology, but limited to one website and does not measure consumer impact.
- Study Age:
- 2024 publication analyzing 2022 data
- Original Title:
- A content analysis of cannabis edibles package marketing in the United States.
- Published In:
- The International journal on drug policy, 130, 104526 (2024)
- Authors:
- Reboussin, Beth A(4), Lazard, Allison J(2), Ross, Jennifer Cornacchione, Sutfin, Erin L, Romero-Sandoval, E Alfonso, Suerken, Cynthia K, Lake, Shelby, Horton, Olivia E, Zizzi, Alexandra R, Wagoner, Emily, Janicek, Alondra, Boucher, Madeleine, Wagoner, Kimberly G
- Database ID:
- RTHC-05646
Evidence Hierarchy
Frequently Asked Questions
How are cannabis edibles marketed?
This analysis of 1,229 packages found heavy use of health descriptors ("vegan," "natural"), food imagery (43%), and effect-based language ("relax"). Only 33% of packages showed the cannabis plant.
Are cannabis edibles misleading consumers?
The researchers found edibles packaging borrows extensively from food industry marketing, using terms like "natural" and "handcrafted" that could lead consumers to perceive the cannabis product itself as healthy or less harmful.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-05646APA
Reboussin, Beth A; Lazard, Allison J; Ross, Jennifer Cornacchione; Sutfin, Erin L; Romero-Sandoval, E Alfonso; Suerken, Cynthia K; Lake, Shelby; Horton, Olivia E; Zizzi, Alexandra R; Wagoner, Emily; Janicek, Alondra; Boucher, Madeleine; Wagoner, Kimberly G. (2024). A content analysis of cannabis edibles package marketing in the United States.. The International journal on drug policy, 130, 104526. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104526
MLA
Reboussin, Beth A, et al. "A content analysis of cannabis edibles package marketing in the United States.." The International journal on drug policy, 2024. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104526
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A content analysis of cannabis edibles package marketing in ..." RTHC-05646. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/reboussin-2024-a-content-analysis-of
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.