Study: Social Media Marketing Dramatically Impacts Teenage Cannabis Consumption

Teenagers who interact with cannabis brands via social media platforms are five times more likely to consume cannabis to those who don’t, according to a new study conducted by researchers with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

This study is said to be the first in the U.S. to research the impact marijuana advertising on social media has on cannabis consumption among youth, Green Rush Daily reported. 

One in three teens who live in states where recreational cannabis has been legalized interact with cannabis brands on social media platforms, the study found. 

The research surveyed 482 teens between 15-19 living in six states where cannabis consumption is legal.

Thirty-three percent of teens who participated in the study said they had consumed cannabis in the past year, and more than one-quarter reported consuming it in the past 28 days.

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The study revealed 22% of the teens had a preferred cannabis brand with which they interacted online, and those respondents were eight times more likely to have consumed marijuana in the past month. 

This indicates that interacting with marijuana marketing on social media significantly raises the chances of cannabis consumption among teenagers.

The promotions shouldn't make it to the eyes of children who can't buy or use non-medical marijuana, said Megan Moreno, M.D., a professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health and co-author of the study, according to Green Rush Daily. 

Other studies exist that show marijuana consumption at a young age, especially during important brain developments like puberty, can negatively affects cognitive performance, the publication said.