What Cannabis Budtenders Tell Pregnant Customers About Safety
Only 40% of 505 California budtenders told mystery shoppers posing as pregnant that cannabis use during pregnancy was unsafe, while 21% said it was safe.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
While 80% of budtenders advised against prenatal tobacco and blunt use, only 40% said prenatal cannabis use was unsafe. 21% said it was safe, and only 6% mentioned store/product warnings. Less than half recommended speaking to a physician.
Key Numbers
505 budtenders surveyed. 79.6% said blunts unsafe, 79.2% said tobacco unsafe, but only 40.4% said cannabis unsafe. 20.6% said cannabis was safe. Only 5.7% mentioned product warnings. 44% recommended seeing a physician.
How They Did This
Cross-sectional mystery shopper study of 505 California cannabis retailers (Feb 2024-Jan 2025), with callers posing as pregnant individuals asking about safety of prenatal blunt, tobacco, and cannabis use.
Why This Research Matters
Pregnant people often consult budtenders as trusted sources. The finding that most budtenders don't warn against prenatal cannabis use — despite medical consensus — highlights a critical gap in consumer protection and public health education.
The Bigger Picture
Cannabis retailers are de facto health advisors for many consumers. The disconnect between medical recommendations and budtender advice on prenatal use represents a significant public health concern that regulation could address.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
California-only sample. Mystery shopper scenario may not represent real customer interactions. Budtender responses may vary by training, experience, and store policy. Published in JAMA Network Open.
Questions This Raises
- ?Should mandatory budtender training on prenatal cannabis risks be required?
- ?Would visible warning labels at point of sale change budtender advice?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- Evidence Grade:
- Large, well-designed mystery shopper study published in JAMA Network Open — strong methodology for assessing real-world retailer behavior.
- Study Age:
- Very recent study (2024-2025 data collection) capturing current budtender practices in the mature California cannabis market.
- Original Title:
- Cannabis Retailer Advice on Blunt, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use During Pregnancy.
- Published In:
- JAMA network open, 8(12), e2548373 (2025)
- Authors:
- Young-Wolff, Kelly C(42), Does, Monique B(24), Negusse, Rahel, Ogden, Shannon N, Nugent, Joshua R, Silver, Lynn D, Soroosh, Aurash J, Metz, Torri D
- Database ID:
- RTHC-08008
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Do budtenders warn pregnant customers about cannabis risks?
Only about 40% do, compared to 80% who warn about tobacco. About 21% actively told pregnant mystery shoppers that cannabis use during pregnancy was safe.
What did budtenders recommend instead?
Some suggested low-THC products, edibles as 'safer' than smoking, and harm reduction strategies like using less frequently. Less than half recommended speaking with a physician.
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Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-08008APA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C; Does, Monique B; Negusse, Rahel; Ogden, Shannon N; Nugent, Joshua R; Silver, Lynn D; Soroosh, Aurash J; Metz, Torri D. (2025). Cannabis Retailer Advice on Blunt, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use During Pregnancy.. JAMA network open, 8(12), e2548373. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48373
MLA
Young-Wolff, Kelly C, et al. "Cannabis Retailer Advice on Blunt, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use During Pregnancy.." JAMA network open, 2025. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.48373
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "Cannabis Retailer Advice on Blunt, Tobacco, and Cannabis Use..." RTHC-08008. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/young-wolff-2025-cannabis-retailer-advice-on
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.