Skip to content
  • About
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Book
  • Careers
  • Podcast
  • Recommended
  • Speaking
  • All
  • Physician
  • Practice
  • Policy
  • Finance
  • Conditions
  • .edu
  • Patient
  • Meds
  • Tech
  • Social
  • Video
    • All
    • Physician
    • Practice
    • Policy
    • Finance
    • Conditions
    • .edu
    • Patient
    • Meds
    • Tech
    • Social
    • Video
    • About
    • Contact
    • Contribute
    • Book
    • Careers
    • Podcast
    • Recommended
    • Speaking

Cannabis advertising takes a page from the tobacco playbook

Gary Kirkilas, DO
Conditions
December 9, 2024
Share
Tweet
Share

Imagine seeing a commercial featuring Ryder and Marshall from the popular kids’ cartoon Paw Patrol lighting up cigarettes and enjoying a smoke together. It’s hard to fathom that happening, but in 1961 beloved cartoon characters Fred Flintstone and Barney Rubble happily smoked cigarettes in an ad for Winston. Most children of that era could easily recite the ad slogan: “Winston tastes good like a cigarette should.”

With that sort of youth targeting, the meteoric rise of youth smoking from the 1970s through the 1990s is not surprising. Millions of these young Americans would go on to die directly due to their cigarette use. Fortunately, we learned our lesson and stopped the tobacco industry from targeting youth. Unfortunately, it was a lesson we soon forgot.

Now, imagine a preschooler seeing a billboard or social media post of Santa Claus smoking a joint with the tagline “Santa knows where to get his dopest gifts – happy holiblaze.” Or a teenager walking to school today and seeing a billboard with a 10-foot cannabis leaf image on it and the cheeky tagline, “I like big buds and I cannot lie.”

You don’t need to imagine it, of course, because youth-targeted cannabis ads are common in states that have legalized cannabis. Why? Because cannabis dispensaries and brands have few restrictions to abide by. These legal cannabis companies and dispensaries have certainly done their homework. They use tactics from the tried-and-true playbook of tobacco companies to target young users — and hook them for life.

The product is different; the tactics are not.

We should be more outraged by this! We know the very serious risks of smoking. It is against the law for tobacco companies to advertise on TV or billboards, use cartoons, or sponsor sporting events. Somehow, cannabis companies are allowed to do those things in most of the states where it is legal.

Twenty-four states and Washington, D.C. have legalized cannabis for recreational use for those aged 21 and older. Every year more state bills and voter initiatives are brought forth to legalize cannabis. If this is the route the U.S. is taking, we cannot disregard the important lessons of the past.

Some people may shrug at this and feel it’s an inflated concern. Perhaps they don’t see the links to the past or they don’t realize the potential harm.

Proponents may point to the defense that cannabis is a different, less harmful substance than cigarettes.

Let’s look at this argument. Smoking any substance releases large amounts of tar, toxins, and carcinogens, which all damage sensitive lung tissue. This damage increases the risk of cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Particularly for youth, there is mounting research that shows cannabis can interfere with memory, attention, and problem-solving abilities in the developing adolescent brain. These learning impairments are associated with negative social outcomes, such as decreased high school completion.

There is strong evidence also correlating early cannabis use to increased rates of negative mental health issues. Those with underlying mood disorders have an increased risk of suicidality and psychosis. Additionally, while cannabis may not have the same type of physical addiction pattern that tobacco has, addiction to cannabis does occur and the risk is well-established.

We may be able to attribute these effects occurring more frequently to the exponential rise of THC levels in cannabis. Cannabis used in the 1960s and ’70s had THC levels of 3 to 5 percent, producing a mild euphoria. Now, with cannabis plants being specifically cultivated to produce 30 percent THC levels and extraction processes to deliver resins that are essentially 100 percent pure THC, these detrimental health implications are not a surprise.

Another specious argument that has been used against the efforts to limit cannabis advertising is that marketing doesn’t affect youth use. Ongoing research is showing something different. A 2017 CDC-sponsored study that polled high school students on their substance use behaviors found 52 percent reported exposure to cannabis advertising from the internet, 32 percent from television, and 16 percent from billboards. Adolescents who reported exposure from one mode of advertising had a 60 percent increased likelihood of being current cannabis users.

ADVERTISEMENT

We, in the medical field, should demand that our state legislators protect children from stepping into a new smoking epidemic. If we fail to, we can’t be surprised if millions of young Americans go on to habitually smoke cannabis and suffer the same health consequences that youth from the 1970s to 1990s did with cigarettes.

Gary Kirkilas is a pediatrician.

Prev

Overlooked problems in individuals with autism

December 9, 2024 Kevin 0
…
Next

How technology can free up nurses for better care [PODCAST]

December 9, 2024 Kevin 0
…

Tagged as: Pediatrics

Post navigation

< Previous Post
Overlooked problems in individuals with autism
Next Post >
How technology can free up nurses for better care [PODCAST]

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

Related Posts

  • Hormone replacement therapy is still linked to cancer

    Martha Rosenberg
  • Pandemic aftermath: Navigating a new normal in health, education, and social dynamics

    Susan Levenstein, MD
  • “System-ness”: the key to successful health care transformation

    Robert Pearl, MD
  • AI’s role in streamlining colorectal cancer screening [PODCAST]

    The Podcast by KevinMD
  • COVID is not a great equalizer

    Ritodhi Chatterjee
  • Why doctors risk jail time to treat pain and addiction

    L. Joseph Parker, MD

More in Conditions

  • Venous leak syndrome: a silent challenge faced by all men

    Elliot Justin, MD
  • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

    Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD
  • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

    William Hsu, MD
  • A speech pathologist’s key to better, safer patient care

    Adena Dacy, CCC-SLP
  • How collaboration saved my life from a rare disease doctors couldn’t diagnose

    Tami Burdick
  • Why your emotions are your greatest compass in therapy and life

    Maire Daugharty, MD
  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Venous leak syndrome: a silent challenge faced by all men

      Elliot Justin, MD | Conditions
    • Why the words doctors use matter more than they think

      Erin Paterson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Venous leak syndrome: a silent challenge faced by all men

      Elliot Justin, MD | Conditions
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

      William Hsu, MD | Conditions
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

Subscribe to KevinMD and never miss a story!

Get free updates delivered free to your inbox.


Find jobs at
Careers by KevinMD.com

Search thousands of physician, PA, NP, and CRNA jobs now.

Learn more

Leave a Comment

Founded in 2004 by Kevin Pho, MD, KevinMD.com is the web’s leading platform where physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses, medical students, and patients share their insight and tell their stories.

Social

  • Like on Facebook
  • Follow on Twitter
  • Connect on Linkedin
  • Subscribe on Youtube
  • Instagram

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

ADVERTISEMENT

  • Most Popular

  • Past Week

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • A faster path to becoming a doctor is possible—here’s how

      Ankit Jain | Education
    • A world without antidepressants: What could possibly go wrong?

      Tomi Mitchell, MD | Meds
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Venous leak syndrome: a silent challenge faced by all men

      Elliot Justin, MD | Conditions
    • Why the words doctors use matter more than they think

      Erin Paterson | Conditions
  • Past 6 Months

    • What’s driving medical students away from primary care?

      ​​Vineeth Amba, MPH, Archita Goyal, and Wayne Altman, MD | Education
    • Internal Medicine 2025: inspiration at the annual meeting

      American College of Physicians | Physician
    • The silent crisis hurting pain patients and their doctors

      Kayvan Haddadan, MD | Physician
    • What happened to real care in health care?

      Christopher H. Foster, PhD, MPA | Policy
    • How the CDC’s opioid rules created a crisis for chronic pain patients

      Charles LeBaron, MD | Conditions
    • Are quotas a solution to physician shortages?

      Jacob Murphy | Education
  • Recent Posts

    • Venous leak syndrome: a silent challenge faced by all men

      Elliot Justin, MD | Conditions
    • Rethinking patient payments: Why billing is the new frontline of patient care [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast
    • The dreaded question: Do you have boys or girls?

      Pamela Adelstein, MD | Physician
    • Make cognitive testing as routine as a blood pressure check

      Joshua Baker and James Jackson, PsyD | Conditions
    • Reimagining diabetes care with nutrition, not prescriptions

      William Hsu, MD | Conditions
    • Why funding cuts to academic medical centers impact all of us [PODCAST]

      The Podcast by KevinMD | Podcast

MedPage Today Professional

An Everyday Health Property Medpage Today
  • Terms of Use | Disclaimer
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA Policy
All Content © KevinMD, LLC
Site by Outthink Group

Leave a Comment

Comments are moderated before they are published. Please read the comment policy.

Loading Comments...