54% of Cannabis TikTok Videos Portrayed Use Positively, None Were Age-Restricted | Research

The takeaway

Analysis of 881 cannabis-related TikTok videos found 54% portrayed use positively (collectively viewed 417 million times), with 72% using humor, and none were age-restricted despite a third of TikTok users being under 14.

Social media policy researchers; parents; substance prevention specialists; TikTok regulatory staff.

417 million views on pro-cannabis TikTok content with zero age restrictions

What the researchers found

54.14% of videos portrayed cannabis positively (417 million total views). 15.84% depicted cannabis products. Themes: entertaining/humorous (71.74%), personal experiences (42.90%), social/cultural acceptability (24.63%). No videos were age-restricted. All were publicly accessible.

Why it matters

TikTok reaches massive youth audiences, with a third of users under 14. The absence of age restrictions on pro-cannabis content means young adolescents are routinely exposed to positive cannabis messaging, which research shows can influence attitudes and use.

The numbers in context

881 videos analyzed. Median views: 518,700. Median likes: 99,900. Positive portrayal: 54.14% (417M collective views). Humorous content: 71.74%. Personal experiences: 42.90%. Social acceptability: 24.63%. Age-restricted: 0%.

How the study worked

Content analysis of 1,377 cannabis-related TikTok videos identified through hashtag-based searches. After removing duplicates and irrelevant content, 881 videos were coded by 7 researchers for sentiment, theme, and video metrics.

What this study cannot tell us

Hashtag-based sampling may not capture all cannabis content (misspellings, slang). The analysis captured a snapshot in time; TikTok content changes rapidly. Viewing a video does not necessarily change behavior. Cultural context of viewers was not assessed.

How to read the evidence

Moderate: systematic content analysis with multiple coders, though limited to a snapshot in time.

When this study was published

Published in 2022.

The bigger picture

Social media has become a primary vector for cannabis normalization among youth. The scale is staggering: 417 million views on positively-framed cannabis content, accessible to children as young as 10. This represents a new frontier for substance use prevention.

Questions still open

Would effective age restrictions reduce youth cannabis content exposure? Do TikTok cannabis videos actually influence adolescent use behavior? Should cannabis companies be prohibited from TikTok marketing?

Common questions

Can kids see cannabis content on TikTok?

Yes. This study found none of the 881 cannabis-related videos were age-restricted. All were publicly accessible through standard apps, meaning TikTok's youngest users (a third are under 14) could freely view positive cannabis content.

How is cannabis portrayed on TikTok?

Mostly positively and humorously. 54% of videos framed cannabis use positively, 72% used humor, and 25% promoted social acceptability of cannabis. These collectively received 417 million views.

Read the original research

Getting high for likes: Exploring cannabis-related content on TikTok.

Drug and alcohol review, 41(5), 1119-1125

View on PubMed ↗Publisher’s paper ↗

Citation

Rutherford, Brienna N; Sun, Tianze; Johnson, Benjamin; Co, Steven; Lim, Tong Liang; Lim, Carmen C W; Chiu, Vivian; Leung, Janni; Stjepanovic, Daniel; Connor, Jason P; Chan, Gary C K. (2022). Getting high for likes: Exploring cannabis-related content on TikTok.. Drug and alcohol review, 41(5), 1119-1125. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13433