Becker Timothy D, Menzi Peter J, Olfson Mark, Mosharova Polina, Levin Frances R, Sultan Ryan S
Department of Psychiatry/New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY; NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY.
Department of Psychiatry/New York State Psychiatric Institute, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons, New York, NY.
Am J Prev Med. 2025 Jul 29:108000. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2025.108000.
Cannabis product labels shape consumers' perceptions of risks and benefits and can be leveraged to reduce high-risk cannabis use in legalized markets. Although prior research has identified features of labels that might modify risk, no prior research has compared labeling practices of licensed and unlicensed products in legalized markets.
In this cross-sectional study, cannabis products (n=88, including 58 flower and 30 vape) were obtained from randomly selected licensed and unlicensed cannabis retailers in New York, in October-November 2023. Product labels were coded in 2024 across four categories: essential information (e.g., THC potency, use-by date), safety features (e.g., health warnings), youth-appealing elements (e.g., cartoons, multiple bright colors), and other product descriptors/imagery; composite measures were compared by licensing status.
Compared to licensed products, unlicensed products had significantly less essential information (M=2.20 vs 4.89 of 6 elements, p<0.001), fewer safety features (M=2.22 vs 4.29 of 6, p<0.001), and more youth-appealing elements (M=2.58 vs. 1.60 of 7, p<0.01). Unlicensed products often had universal symbols from other states and edible-specific warnings incorrectly applied on non-edibles.
As recreational cannabis was legalized in New York, both licensed and unlicensed stores emerged. Although licensed products largely comply with state regulations, unlicensed products are less likely to provide basic information to enable consumers to make lower-risk consumption decisions, more appealing to youth, and more likely to include erroneous or misplaced information.
大麻产品标签塑造了消费者对风险和益处的认知，可用于在合法化市场中减少高风险大麻使用。尽管先前的研究已经确定了可能改变风险的标签特征，但此前尚无研究比较合法化市场中有许可证和无许可证产品的标签做法。
在这项横断面研究中，于2023年10月至11月从纽约随机选择的有许可证和无许可证的大麻零售商处获取大麻产品（n = 88，包括58种花类产品和30种电子烟产品）。2024年对产品标签进行了四类编码：基本信息（例如，四氢大麻酚含量、保质期）、安全特征（例如，健康警告）、吸引年轻人的元素（例如，卡通、多种鲜艳颜色）以及其他产品描述/图像；按许可状态比较综合指标。
与有许可证的产品相比，无许可证的产品基本信息显著更少（6项元素中分别为M = 2.20和4.89，p < 0.001），安全特征更少（6项中分别为M = 2.22和4.29，p < 0.001），吸引年轻人的元素更多（7项中分别为M = 2.58和1.60，p < 0.01）。无许可证的产品经常带有其他州的通用标志，并且针对食用产品的警告错误地应用于非食用产品。
随着娱乐用大麻在纽约合法化，有许可证和无许可证的商店都出现了。尽管有许可证的产品基本符合州法规，但无许可证的产品不太可能提供基本信息以使消费者能够做出低风险的消费决策，对年轻人更具吸引力，并且更有可能包含错误或错误放置的信息。
