Medical Marijuana Marketing Might Affect Young People

Data from over 8,000 students show a potential link between exposure to medical marijuana marketing and marijuana use. In the United States medical marijuana ads appear on TV, billboards, medical dispensary store fronts and in newspapers. Young adults that viewed such commercials were found to be twice as likely to use marijuana or said they planned to use it in the future than those not viewing them. “Given that advertising typically tells only one side of the story, prevention efforts must begin to better educate youth about how medical marijuana is used, while also emphasizing the negative effects that marijuana can have on the brain and performance,” said lead researcher Elizabeth D’Amico. Further research is needed to find out if seeing medical marijuana ads can actually cause or increase marijuana use.

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