Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36966547›Full record

ArticleAddictive behaviors2023

Cannabis retailer marketing strategies and regulatory compliance: A surveillance study of retailers in 5 US cities.

Carla J Berg, Katelyn F Romm, Alexandria Pannell, Priyanka Sridharan, Tanvi Sapra, Aishwarya Rajamahanty, Yuxian Cui, Yan Wang, Y Tony Yang, Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Addictive behaviors, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 30 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
30citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

30 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  11. Artificial Intelligence Approximates Human Affect Ratings of Cannabis Images.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025
    Article
  12. Article
  13. Developing an online cannabis store paradigm for Cannabis Regulatory Science.medRxiv : the preprint server for health sciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Carla J BergDepartment of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; George Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA. Electronic address: carlaberg@gwu.edu.
Katelyn F RommTSET Health Promotion Research Center, Stephenson Cancer Center, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, OK, USA.
Alexandria PannellDepartment of Global Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Priyanka SridharanDepartment of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Tanvi SapraDepartment of Epidemiology, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Aishwarya RajamahantyDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.
Yuxian CuiDepartment of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Yan WangDepartment of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; George Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Y Tony YangGeorge Washington Cancer Center, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA; Department of Community of Policy, Populations and Systems, School of Nursing, George Washington University, Washington, DC, USA.
Patricia A Cavazos-RehgDepartment of Psychiatry, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO, USA.

Funding

Tissue Pathology Shared ResourceP30CA225520 · NCI · UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA HLTH SCIENCES CTR · PI James F Papin · 2018 to 2026
$27.1M
Recreational Marijuana Marketing and Young Adult Consumer Behavior - Administrative SupplementR01DA054751 · NIDA · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Carla J Berg, Patricia A Cavazos-Rehg · 2022 to 2026
$4.3M
Regulatory Impact on Vape Shops and Young Adults' Use of ENDS - Diversity SupplementR01CA215155 · NCI · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI BERG, CARLA J · 2018 to 2022
$3.4M
Implementing a Scalable Smoke-free Home Intervention in Armenia and GeorgiaR01CA278229 · NCI · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Carla J Berg, MICHELLE C KEGLER · 2023 to 2026
$2.3M
Smoke-free Air Coalitions in Georgia and Armenia: A Community Randomized TrialR01TW010664 · FIC · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI BERG, CARLA J, KEGLER, MICHELLE C · 2017 to 2021
$1.5M
Emory-Georgia Clean Air Research & Education (CARE) ProgramD43ES030927 · NIEHS · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI BERG, CARLA J, CAUDLE, WILLIAM MICHAEL · 2019 to 2025
$1.2M
Assessing IQOS Marketing Influences and Consumer Behavior in Israel: Implications for the USR01CA239178 · NCI · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI BERG, CARLA J, LEVINE, HAGAI · 2019 to 2021
$1.2M
Helping Everyone Achieve a LifeTime of Health - Future Addiction Scientist TrainingR25DA054015 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF TX MD ANDERSON CAN CTR · PI OBASI, EZEMENARI M., REITZEL, LORRAINE R · 2021 to 2025
$1.0M
Armenia-US Collaboration to Address Chronic Disease via Education in Social Determinants Science (ACCESS)D43TW012456 · FIC · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI Carla J Berg, Nino Paichadze · 2023 to 2026
$974k
An mHealth Positive Psychology Intervention to Reduce Cancer Burden in Young Adult Cancer SurvivorsR21CA261884 · NCI · GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · PI AREM, HANNAH, BERG, CARLA J · 2022 to 2023
$428k
FIC NIH HHS D43 TW012456FIC NIH HHS R01 TW010664NCI NIH HHS P30 CA225520NCI NIH HHS R01 CA215155NCI NIH HHS R01 CA239178NCI NIH HHS R01 CA278229NCI NIH HHS R21 CA261884NIDA NIH HHS R01 DA054751NIDA NIH HHS R25 DA054015NIEHS NIH HHS D43 ES030927
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

As cannabis retail expands in the US, its surveillance is crucial to inform regulations and protect consumers. This study addresses this need by conducting point-of-sale audits examining regulatory compliance (e.g., age verification, signage), advertising/promotional strategies, products, and pricing among 150 randomly-selected cannabis retailers in 5 US cities (30/city: Denver, Colorado; Seattle, Washington; Portland, Oregon; Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles, California) in Summer 2022. Descriptive and bivariate analyses characterized the retailers overall and across cities. Age verification rates were high (>90%). The majority of retailers had signage indicating restricted access (e.g., no minors; 87.3%), onsite consumption (73.3%), and distribution to minors (53.3%). Retailers were likely to post warnings regarding use during pregnancy/breastfeeding (72.0%), followed by health risks (38.0%), impacts on children/youth (18.7%), and DUI (14.0%). Overall, 28.7% posted health claims, 20.7% posted youth-oriented signage, and 18.0% had youth-oriented packaging. Price promotions were prevalent, particularly price specials (75.3%), daily/weekly/monthly specials (66.7%), and membership programs (39.3%). One-fourth had signs/promotions indicating curbside delivery/pick-up (28.0%) and/or online ordering (25.3%); 64.7% promoted their website or social media page. The most potent cannabis products were most often e-liquids (38.0%) or oils (24.7%); the least potent were often edibles (53.0%). The most expensive product was often bud/flower (58.0%); the least was joints (54.0%). The vast majority (≥81%) sold vaporizers, wrapping papers, and hookah/waterpipes/bongs, and 22.6% sold CBD products. Marketing strategies differed across cities, reflecting differences in state-specific regulations and/or gaps in compliance/enforcement. Findings underscore the need for ongoing cannabis retail surveillance to inform future regulatory and enforcement efforts.

Indexed as

CannabisTobacco ProductsAdolescentAdvertisingChildCitiesCommerceHumansMarketingCannabisDrug useHealth communicationHealth policyMarijuanaMarketing

Identifiers

PMID36966547
PMCPMC10674052

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.