Noticing of cannabis health warning labels in Canada and the US

Introduction Product labelling and health warnings are important components of regulatory frameworks for consumer products such as tobacco, alcohol and food. However, evidence in the cannabis domain is limited. This study aimed to examine the reach of mandated health warnings on cannabis products using a natural experimental design. Methods Data are from the online International Cannabis Policy Study 2018 and 2019 surveys. Respondents were men and women aged 16 to 65 years in Canada and US states with illegal and legal nonmedical cannabis (“illegal” and “legal” states, respectively) (n = 72 549). Regression models tested differences in noticing health warnings on cannabis packages pre- and post-legalization in Canada, with comparisons to US states, adjusting for cannabis use, cannabis source and sociodemographics. Results Respondents in Canada showed a greater increase in noticing warnings (+8.9%) in 2019 (14.7%) versus 2018 (5.8%) than respondents in US “illegal” states (+2.8%) and “legal” states (+3.2%). In 2019, consumers residing in jurisdictions with legal recreational cannabis who purchased from legal retail sources were more likely to report noticing warnings than consumers who obtained cannabis from illegal/unstated sources (Canada: 40.4% vs. 15.3%; US “legal” states: 35.3% vs. 17.0%). Regular cannabis consumers were more likely to notice warnings than less frequent consumers. Conclusion Mandating warning labels on cannabis products may increase exposure to messages communicating the health risks of cannabis, especially among frequent consumers and those who access the legal market.