[Skip to Content]
Outline
Claim CME
PDF
Adolescent Medicine

Social Media Posts by Recreational Marijuana Companies and Administrative Code Regulations in Washington State

Educational Objective To review often are recreational marijuana companies adhering to the state of Washington Administrative Code regulations when posting product promotion messages on social media.
1 Credit CME
JAMA Network Open
November 16, 2018
Original Investigation
Megan A. Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH1; Aubrey D. Gower, BS1; Marina C. Jenkins, BS1; et al Josh Scheck2; Jaymin Sohal2; Bradley Kerr, MS1; Henry N. Young, PhD3; Elizabeth Cox, MD, PhD1 Author Affiliations
  • 1Department of Pediatrics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison
  • 2Undergraduate Student, Department of Pediatrics, University of Washington, Seattle
  • 3School of Pharmacy, University of Georgia, Athens
 Read article on JAMA Network
editorial comment icon
Editorial
Comment
 related articles icon
Related
Articles
 author interview icon
Interviews
 multimedia icon
Multimedia
Read Article Claim CME
Key Points

Question  How often are recreational marijuana companies adhering to the state of Washington Administrative Code regulations when posting product promotion messages on social media?

Findings  This cross-sectional content analysis of 1027 posts on Facebook and Twitter platforms evaluated the social media content of business pages from 6 recreational marijuana companies. Violations of regulations regarding prohibited content were present for between 2% and 13% posts across regulation categories; required warnings were present on only 11% of posts.

Meaning  Social media are influential and accessible platforms for youths in which recreational marijuana companies promote prohibited content and avoid required health warning messages.

Abstract

Importance  Recreational marijuana use was legalized in the state of Washington in 2012, and the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) 314-55-155 was implemented to limit the exposure of youths to marijuana advertisements.

Objectives  To evaluate the content of social media posts by marijuana companies and to assess the compliance of these posts with WAC regulations.

Design, Setting, and Participants  In a cross-sectional study, a content analysis of 1027 social media posts was conducted to identify and assess compliance of WAC regulations with the business pages of recreational marijuana companies located on Facebook and Twitter platforms in the state of Washington from December 1, 2015, through November 30, 2016.

Main Outcomes and Measures  Application of coding based on WAC regulations to focus on the prohibition of language that promoted the overconsumption of marijuana, that described its curative or therapeutic benefits, or that was designed to appeal to youths; and the requirements for warnings about intoxication, driving, health risks, and age restrictions for marijuana.

Results  Of the 1027 posts on Facebook and Twitter from business pages of 6 marijuana companies, Facebook followers ranged from 342 to 1592 persons and Twitter followers ranged from 374 to 2915 persons per company. Findings for WAC regulations included 17 posts (1.7%) that encouraged overconsumption; 137 posts (13.3%) that promoted therapeutic benefits; and 9 posts (0.01%) that appealed to youths. Requirements for warnings addressing intoxication, driving, health risks, and age restrictions were present on 110 posts (10.7%). Some businesses repeatedly violated particular regulations; 7 of 17 (41.2%) posts encouraging overconsumption derived from 1 marijuana company.

Conclusions and Relevance  Most social media posts by marijuana companies were consistent with WAC regulations that prohibit particular messages, but few companies provided required warning messages. Findings can be used toward implementation strategies for marijuana prevention to address these influential media messages.

Sign in to take quiz and track your certificates

Buy This Activity

JN Learning™ is the home for CME and MOC from the JAMA Network. Search by specialty or US state and earn AMA PRA Category 1 CME Credit™ from articles, audio, Clinical Challenges and more. Learn more about CME/MOC

View All Featured

See More About

Adolescent Medicine Law and Medicine Media and Youth Pediatrics Psychiatry Substance Use and Addiction
Article Information

Accepted for Publication: June 22, 2018.

Published: November 16, 2018. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.2242

Open Access: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the CC-BY License. © 2018 Moreno MA et al. JAMA Network Open.

Corresponding Author: Megan A. Moreno, MD, MSEd, MPH, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2870 University Ave, Ste 200, Mailcode 9010, Madison, WI 53705 (mamoreno@pediatrics.wisc.edu).

Author Contributions: Dr Moreno had full access to all of the data in the study and takes responsibility for the integrity of the data and the accuracy of the data analysis.

Concept and design: Moreno, Gower, Sohal, Kerr, Cox.

Acquisition, analysis, or interpretation of data: Gower, Jenkins, Scheck, Sohal, Kerr, Young, Cox.

Drafting of the manuscript: Moreno, Gower, Jenkins, Scheck, Sohal, Kerr, Young.

Critical revision of the manuscript for important intellectual content: Moreno, Gower, Jenkins, Scheck, Kerr, Young, Cox.

Statistical analysis: Gower, Jenkins, Scheck, Sohal, Kerr, Young, Cox.

Obtained funding: Moreno.

Administrative, technical, or material support: Kerr.

Supervision: Kerr.

Conflict of Interest Disclosures: None reported.

Funding/Support: This study was funded by the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute at the University of Washington and by grant R01DA041641 from the National Institute of Drug Abuse.

Role of the Funder/Sponsor: The funders had no role in the design and conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of the data; preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript; and decision to submit the manuscript for publication.

Meeting Presentation: This article was presented as a poster at the 2018 Annual Meeting of the American Public Health Association; November 12, 2018; San Diego, California.

References
1.
Wang  GS, Le Lait  MC, Deakyne  SJ, Bronstein  AC, Bajaj  L, Roosevelt  G.  Unintentional pediatric exposures to marijuana in Colorado, 2009-2015.  JAMA Pediatr. 2016;170(9):e160971. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.0971PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
2.
Cerdá  M, Wall  M, Feng  T,  et al.  Association of state recreational marijuana laws with adolescent marijuana use.  JAMA Pediatr. 2017;171(2):142-149. doi:10.1001/jamapediatrics.2016.3624PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
3.
Johnston  LD, O’Malley  PM, Bachman  JG, Schulenberg  JE, Miech  RA.  Monitoring the Future. National Survey Results on Drug Use, 1975–2013: Volume 2, College Students and Adults Ages 19–55. Ann Arbor: Institute for Social Research, The University of Michigan; 2014.
4.
Buckner  JD, Ecker  AH, Cohen  AS.  Mental health problems and interest in marijuana treatment among marijuana-using college students.  Addict Behav. 2010;35(9):826-833. doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2010.04.001PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
5.
Green  KM, Doherty  EE, Stuart  EA, Ensminger  ME.  Does heavy adolescent marijuana use lead to criminal involvement in adulthood? Evidence from a multiwave longitudinal study of urban African Americans.  Drug Alcohol Depend. 2010;112(1-2):117-125. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2010.05.018PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
6.
Arnett  JJ, Terhanian  G.  Adolescents’ responses to cigarette advertisements: links between exposure, liking, and the appeal of smoking.  Tob Control. 1998;7(2):129-133. doi:10.1136/tc.7.2.129PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
7.
Turco  RM.  Effects of exposure to cigarette advertisements on adolescents’ attitudes towards smoking.  J Appl Soc Psychol. 1997;27(13):1115-1130. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.1997.tb01797.xGoogle ScholarCrossref
8.
Weed  J. Best practices: cannabis executives share social media advice. https://www.forbes.com/sites/julieweed/2017/07/16/best-practices-cannabis-executives-share-social-media-advice/#43e563eb2e72. Published July 16, 2017. Accessed January 6, 2018.
9.
Unger  JB, Johnson  CA, Rohrbach  LA.  Recognition and liking of tobacco and alcohol advertisements among adolescents: relationships with susceptibility to substance use.  Prev Med. 1995;24(5):461-466. doi:10.1006/pmed.1995.1074PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
10.
Pechmann  C, Knight  SJ.  An experimental investigation of the joint effects of advertising and peers on adolescents’ beliefs and intentions about cigarette consumption.  J Consum Res. 2002;29(1):5-19. doi:10.1086/339918Google ScholarCrossref
11.
Henriksen  L, Flora  JA, Feighery  E.  Effects on youth exposure to retail tobacco advertising.  J Appl Soc Psychol. 2002;32(9):1771-1789. doi:10.1111/j.1559-1816.2002.tb00258.xGoogle ScholarCrossref
12.
Washington State Liquor and Cannibis Board. Frequently asked questions about marijuana advertising. Advertising rules. 2015. https://lcb.wa.gov/mj2015/faq_i502_advertising#advertisingrules. Accessed March 15, 2018.
13.
Lenhart  A. Teens, social media and technology overview 2015. http://www.pewinternet.org/2015/04/09/teens-social-media-technology-2015/. Published April 9, 2015. Accessed March 15, 2018.
14.
Moreno  MA, Ton  A, Selkie  E, Evans  Y.  Secret Society 123: understanding the language of self-harm on Instagram.  J Adolesc Health. 2016;58(1):78-84. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2015.09.015PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
15.
Arseniev-Koehler  A, Lee  H, McCormick  T, Moreno  MA.  #Proana: pro-eating disorder socialization on Twitter.  J Adolesc Health. 2016;58(6):659-664. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2016.02.012PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
16.
Moreno  MA, D’Angelo  J, Kacvinsky  LE, Kerr  B, Zhang  C, Eickhoff  J.  Emergence and predictors of alcohol reference displays on Facebook during the first year of college.  Comput Human Behav. 2014;30:87-94. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2013.07.060PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
17.
Villiard  H, Moreno  MA.  Fitness on Facebook: advertisements generated in response to profile content.  Cyberpsychol Behav Soc Netw. 2012;15(10):564-568. doi:10.1089/cyber.2011.0642PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
18.
Moreno  MA, Briner  LR, Williams  A, Brockman  L, Walker  L, Christakis  DA.  A content analysis of displayed alcohol references on a social networking web site.  J Adolesc Health. 2010;47(2):168-175. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2010.01.001PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
19.
Weedmaps. https://www.weedmaps.com/. Accessed August 31, 2016.
20.
US Census Bureau. Census Bureau’s Decisions Regarding Recommendations Received from Comments Concerning Changes to the Urban Area Criteria for Census 2000. https://factfinder.census.gov/faces/nav/jsf/pages/index.xhtml. Accessed March 15, 2018.
21.
Arbour-Nicitopoulos  KP, Kwan  MY, Lowe  D, Taman  S, Faulkner  GE.  Social norms of alcohol, smoking, and marijuana use within a Canadian university setting.  J Am Coll Health. 2010;59(3):191-196. doi:10.1080/07448481.2010.502194PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
22.
Borsari  B, Carey  KB.  Descriptive and injunctive norms in college drinking: a meta-analytic integration.  J Stud Alcohol. 2003;64(3):331-341. doi:10.15288/jsa.2003.64.331PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
23.
Hong  T, Johnson  C.  The effect of social norms and attitudes on smoking prevalence among a panel of adolescent girls  [abstract].  J Womens Health. 2007;16(8):1109.Google Scholar
24.
Rhoades  E, Jernigan  DH.  Risky messages in alcohol advertising, 2003-2007: results from content analysis.  J Adolesc Health. 2013;52(1):116-121. doi:10.1016/j.jadohealth.2012.04.013PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
25.
Chaffee  SH. Mass media and interpersonal channels: competitive, convergent or complementary? In: Gumpert  G, Cathcart  R, eds.  Inter/Media: Interpersonal Communications in a Media World. 3rd ed. New York, NY: Oxford University Press; 1986:66-80.
26.
D’Amico  EJ, Miles  JN, Tucker  JS.  Gateway to curiosity: medical marijuana ads and intention and use during middle school.  Psychol Addict Behav. 2015;29(3):613-619. doi:10.1037/adb0000094PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
27.
Krauss  MJ, Sowles  SJ, Sehi  A,  et al.  Marijuana advertising exposure among current marijuana users in the U.S.  Drug Alcohol Depend. 2017;174:192-200. doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2017.01.017PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
28.
Moreno  MA, Whitehill  JM, Quach  V, Midamba  N, Manskopf  I.  Marijuana experiences, voting behaviors, and early perspectives regarding marijuana legalization among college students from 2 states.  J Am Coll Health. 2016;64(1):9-18. doi:10.1080/07448481.2015.1062769PubMedGoogle ScholarCrossref
29.
Cashinbis Editorial Team. Digital marketing guidelines and best practices for cannibis businesses.https://www.cashinbis.com/digital-marketing-guidelines-and-best-practices-for-cannabis-businesses/. Published January 10, 2017. Accessed March 15, 2018.
If you are not a JN Learning subscriber, you can either:
Subscribe to JN Learning for one year
Buy this activity
jn-learning_Modal_LoginSubscribe_Purchase
Close
If you are not a JN Learning subscriber, you can either:
Subscribe to JN Learning for one year
Buy this activity
jn-learning_Modal_LoginSubscribe_Purchase
Close
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Education Center Collection Sign In Modal Right
Close

Name Your Search

Save Search
Privacy Policy|Terms of Use
Close
With a personal account, you can:
  • Track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
jn-learning_Modal_SaveSearch_NoAccess_Purchase
Close

Lookup An Activity

or

Close

My Saved Searches

You currently have no searches saved.

Close
With a personal account, you can:
  • Access free activities and track your credits
  • Personalize content alerts
  • Customize your interests
  • Fully personalize your learning experience
Education Center Collection Sign In Modal Right
Close
Our website uses cookies to enhance your experience. By continuing to use our site, or clicking "Continue," you are agreeing to our Cookie Policy | Continue