Evaluating the Impact of Psychotherapeutic Advertising Claims on Cannabis Purchasing
Trustees of Dartmouth College
Summary
In the U.S., legal cannabis is frequently advertised as an effective treatment for mental health problems such as anxiety and depression-particularly online. States that have legalized cannabis have not implemented regulations to address this type of advertising. This project aims to investigate the influence of psychotherapeutic advertising claims (PAC) and mental health warning labels (WL) on online cannabis purchasing behaviors among light-to-moderate cannabis users with symptoms of depression and/or anxiety. The specific aims are to determine whether PAC increases cannabis purchasing intentions and whether a mental health WL can mitigate this effect. A realistic online cannabis shopping experience will be simulated using the digital Platform for Online Evaluation of Marijuana Marketing and Sales (POEMMS). The study will employ a between-subjects experimental design by randomizing 2,000 participants to one of four online stores that vary in PAC and WL content: (1) a control claims (CC)-only store, (2) a PAC store, (3) a WL store, and (4) a PAC + WL store. Participants will browse and select items as if making real purchases. Analyses will examine three primary outcomes to determine the influence of PAC and WL on purchasing behaviors: (1) total milligrams of THC purchased, (2) average potency (%THC) of products, and (3) overall number of products purchased. The long-term objective is to inform evidence-based cannabis policy and regulatory strategies by understanding the impact of cannabis marketing on vulnerable populations. This research is relevant to public health by addressing the potential risks associated with misleading cannabis marketing, which may lead to increased use and exacerbation of mental health symptoms among individuals with depression and anxiety. The project leverages a multidisciplinary team with expertise in addiction, mental health, epidemiology, and digital health technology. The findings have the potential to inform the development of targeted interventions and policies to reduce harms associated with cannabis advertising-ultimately contributing to better health outcomes and more effective regulation.
Description
The U.S. legal cannabis industry increasingly uses psychotherapeutic advertising claims (PACs) on its websites to promote products that contain Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC; the primary intoxicant in cannabis) as effective treatments for mental health disorders-most notably depression and anxiety. PACs employ mental health proxy terms (e.g., happy, calm) and symptoms (e.g., fatigue, stress) to imply or explicitly state that products alleviate specific mental health conditions (e.g., depression, anxiety). Although THC may temporarily relieve such symptoms, long-term use likely exacerbates depr…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 21+ years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Age 21 years or older * Current residence in the United States * Cannabis use on 1-100 days in the past year * Current symptoms of mild to severe depression and/or generalized anxiety disorder, assessed by PHQ-8 (score ≥ 5) and GAD-7 (score ≥ 5) Exclusion Criteria: * Under 21 years of age * Not currently residing in the United States
Interventions
- BehavioralCC
Participants are exposed to an online cannabis store condition that includes claims about neutral product attributes.
- BehavioralPAC
Participants are exposed to an online cannabis store condition that includes CC plus claims about each product's effects on mental health (e.g., "Calming") and symptom relief (e.g., "Helps with: Stress").
- BehavioralWL
Includes CC plus a mental health warning label about the negative impact of THC on anxiety and depression.
Location
- Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH), Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth CollegeLebanon, New Hampshire