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Exploring THC labelling preferences to communicate the strength of cannabis products: Insights from U.S. consumers
Danielle Dawson1, Wayne Hall2, Isabella Goodwin3
1Neuroscience of Addiction and Mental Health Program, Healthy Brain and Mind Research Centre, School of Behavioural and Health Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Australian Catholic University, Fitzroy, Victoria, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Queensland, Australia.
Background:
As cannabis policies have become more liberalized internationally, cannabis products have become increasingly accessible, diversified and potent as indicated by the amount of delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) they contain. The THC content of cannabis products is often inconsistently reported, limiting opportunities to inform consumers about health risks and safer consumption practices. We explored consumers' preferences on the type of THC information (i.e., standard units, concentration, total content) that should be displayed on cannabis products in legal markets.
Methods:
A convenience sample of 575 adults from various U.S. states who reported cannabis use within the past 12 months was recruited via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Respondents completed a survey assessing cannabis use and related attitudes, which included a subsection focused on potential metrics that could be used to report THC content. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were conducted.
Results:
Majority of respondents considered it important for cannabis products to include information on Standard THC Units (e.g., 5 milligrams of THC), THC concentration (%), or the total content of THC on cannabis product labels. When comparing Standard THC Units, THC concentration or both options, Standard THC Units were the preferred metric, p<.001. Consumer preferences for these three metrics did not signficantly differ across U.S. state cannabis policy environments, sex, and frequency of cannabis use when compared using multinomial logistic regression.
Conclusions:
These exploratory findings preliminarily support the potential value of standardized THC dose labelling, particularly in the form of a standardized metric such as the Standard THC Unit, as a tool to better inform consumer decision-making and promote safer patterns of use. The findings require replication in more representative samples using additional THC metrics, including but not limited to, THC milligrams as a response option.
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