Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

Health warnings, product labelling regulations, and consumer understanding of the health risks of cannabis

Goodman, S., Leos-Toro, C., & Hammond, D.

This study examined the impacts of health warning labels, THC labelling, and ‘plain packaging’ on Canadian consumers’ understanding of cannabis health risks. The researchers used a mixed methods approach to conduct this research. Study 1 analyzed secondary data from the International Cannabis Policy Study (ICPS). As part of the 2019 ICPS survey, participants were shown packages of cannabis products with different combinations of health warnings and brand imagery. In Study 2 researchers conducted focus groups to better understand people’s knowledge and perceptions of Canadian health warning labels on cannabis products.

The study found that 31% of Canadian participants noticed health warnings on cannabis product packages. Canadian participants were more likely to notice health warning labels on cannabis products from legal retail sources (40%) compared to illegal retail sources (15%). Participants who bought cannabis from legal retail stores had better recall of warning messages. Most participants supported government health warnings on cannabis products (60%). Focus group participants discussed how warning labels helped them confirm previous beliefs, learn new information, and understand product quality and safety. They felt that the warnings were generally trustworthy. Focus group participants provided suggestions for improving warning labels, including using plain language and identifying specific harms associated with cannabis use. Participants did not always understand mandatory THC labelling, particularly with respect to the difference between “THC Total” and “THC”. The plainest cannabis product packages were the least appealing and the best at communicating health risks.

Publications:

Goodman S., & Hammond D. (2021). Noticing of cannabis health warning labels in Canada and the US. Health Promotion and Chronic Disease Prevention in Canada, 41(7/8), 201-210. https://doi.org/10.24095/hpcdp.41.7/8.01

Goodman, S., Rynard, V. L., Iraniparast, M., & Hammond, D. (2021). Influence of package colour, branding and health warnings on appeal and perceived harm of cannabis products among respondents in Canada and the US. Preventive Medicine, 153, 106788. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106788

Goodman, S., & Hammond, D. (2022). Perceptions of the health risks of cannabis: Estimates from national surveys in Canada and the United States, 2018-2019. Health Education Research, 37(2), 61–78. https://doi.org/10.1093/her/cyac006

Goodman S., Leos-Toro C., & Hammond D. (2022). Do mandatory health warning labels on consumer products increase recall of the health risks of cannabis? Substance Use & Misuse, 57(4), 569-580. https://doi.org/10.1080/10826084.2021.2023186

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