Labeling of Cannabis Products From Licensed and Unlicensed Retailers in New York

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 with those of 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 4 categories: essential information (e.g., tetrahydrocannabinol 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.

Unlicensed products had significantly less essential information (mean=2.20 vs 4.89 of 6 elements, p<0.001), fewer safety features (mean=2.22 vs 4.29 of 6, p<0.001), and more youth-appealing elements (mean=2.58 vs 1.60 of 7, p<0.01) than licensed products. Unlicensed products often had universal symbols from other states and edible-specific warnings incorrectly applied on nonedibles.

As recreational cannabis was legalized in New York, both licensed and unlicensed stores emerged. Whereas 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.