Cannabis Edible Brand Names Use Different Marketing Strategies for THC vs CBD Products
Analysis of 1,344 cannabis edible products found THC brands used cannabis culture and food themes while CBD brands emphasized health and wellness, potentially affecting consumer harm perceptions.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
Among 1,344 cannabis edible products from 250 brands, five brand name themes emerged: cannabis culture (42%), product characteristics (30%), medicine/health (23%), environment/nature (20%), and identity/culture (14%). CBD-only brands were more likely to use medicine/health themes (45% vs 18-20% for THC brands), while THC brands more often used cannabis culture and food-type subthemes.
Key Numbers
1,344 products from 250 brands. 80 THC-only, 130 THC+CBD, 40 CBD-only brands. Medicine/health theme: 45% CBD-only vs 18% THC-only. Cannabis culture theme: 42% overall. Food subthemes more common in THC brands.
How They Did This
Exploratory thematic text analysis of brand names for 1,344 cannabis edible products from 250 brands advertised online June-November 2022. Brands were categorized as THC-only (80), THC+CBD (130), or CBD-only (40). Five core themes and 15 subthemes were identified and compared across product categories.
Why This Research Matters
Brand names are the first thing consumers encounter and shape expectations about effects and safety. The finding that CBD products are marketed as "health and wellness" while THC products lean on cannabis culture and food associations could minimize perceived risks and influence consumption decisions, particularly among new users.
The Bigger Picture
As cannabis markets mature, branding becomes a powerful influence on consumer behavior. The stark difference in how THC and CBD products are marketed, with CBD positioned as medicine and THC as lifestyle, may undermine public health messaging about both products' risks and limitations.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Only analyzed brand names, not packaging images or claims. Online product listings may not represent in-store marketing. Cannot measure whether brand names actually affect consumer behavior. U.S.-focused. Rapidly evolving market means findings may become outdated quickly.
Questions This Raises
- ?Do health-themed CBD brand names increase consumer trust in unproven health claims?
- ?Should regulators restrict health-related language in cannabis brand names?
- ?Do food-themed THC brand names appeal disproportionately to younger consumers?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 45% of CBD brands use health/wellness themes
- Evidence Grade:
- Preliminary: descriptive analysis of branding patterns without measuring consumer behavioral impact.
- Study Age:
- 2025 study (data from 2022)
- Original Title:
- A Thematic Text Analysis of Cannabis Edibles Brand Names.
- Published In:
- Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(5), 593-597 (2025)
- Authors:
- Reboussin, Beth A(4), Lake, Shelby(2), Romero-Sandoval, E Alfonso(4), Cornacchione Ross, Jennifer, Egan, Kathleen L, Wagoner, Kimberly G, Sutfin, Erin L, Suerken, Cynthia K, Horton, Olivia E, Lazard, Allison J
- Database ID:
- RTHC-07453
Evidence Hierarchy
Watches what happens naturally without intervening.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
How are cannabis edibles marketed differently?
CBD products are primarily branded with health and wellness themes (45% of brands), while THC products emphasize cannabis culture, food types, and spiritual/mystical themes. This framing may affect how consumers perceive the risks and benefits of each.
Should cannabis brand names be regulated?
The study suggests that brand name strategies may influence consumer harm perceptions, and the authors recommend monitoring and potentially regulating cannabis marketing to prevent misleading consumers.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-07453APA
Reboussin, Beth A; Lake, Shelby; Romero-Sandoval, E Alfonso; Cornacchione Ross, Jennifer; Egan, Kathleen L; Wagoner, Kimberly G; Sutfin, Erin L; Suerken, Cynthia K; Horton, Olivia E; Lazard, Allison J. (2025). A Thematic Text Analysis of Cannabis Edibles Brand Names.. Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 10(5), 593-597. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2025.0033
MLA
Reboussin, Beth A, et al. "A Thematic Text Analysis of Cannabis Edibles Brand Names.." Cannabis and cannabinoid research, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1089/can.2025.0033
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "A Thematic Text Analysis of Cannabis Edibles Brand Names." RTHC-07453. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/reboussin-2025-a-thematic-text-analysis
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.