PULLMAN, Wash. — Unlike cigarettes or alcohol, cannabis products often come packaged as colorful gummies, chocolates, candies and snacks that can look remarkably similar to items found in a grocery store aisle.
A new Washington State University study suggests some of those products may also attract the attention of underage consumers. More than 80% of the 454 teens and young adults surveyed said some cannabis gummy and candy products would appeal to people under 21, even though they complied with Washington state's cannabis packaging regulations. While cannabis products are sold only in licensed stores that minors cannot legally enter, young people may still encounter the packaging through family members, friends, social media or other sources.
Published in the International Journal of Drug Policy , the study builds on earlier WSU research showing that adolescents viewed many cannabis edibles favorably because they resembled familiar snacks and health foods. This time, the researchers were financially supported by Seattle & King County Public Health and the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board to identify which design features on real, state-approved cannabis products young people believed would attract underage consumers. The findings could help inform future discussions about cannabis packaging regulations and youth prevention efforts as regulators seek to balance legal adult access with efforts to reduce youth appeal.
"Our previous work showed that teens found many of these products appealing, but it didn't tell us exactly what they were responding to," said Stacey J.T. Hust, a professor in WSU's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication and the study's lead author. "This study allowed us to pinpoint the specific package features that stood out across different products."
Researchers surveyed 149 Washington teens ages 13–17 and 305 young adults ages 18–20. Participants viewed photos of five cannabis edible products currently available for legal sale in Washington, including gummies, candy, chocolate, pretzels and a cannabis-infused soda. If they believed a product would appeal to underage individuals, they used a technique known as hotspot analysis to click on the specific parts of the package they found most appealing.
Across the products, participants frequently selected colorful logos, brand names, bold typography and images resembling familiar foods and snacks. Warning labels, ingredient lists and nutritional information attracted far less attention.
One of the study's most notable findings involved branding. Participants often highlighted logos and symbols that complied with existing regulations but still resonated with youth. For example, many respondents identified a turtle logo on one cannabis chocolate package as an attention-grabbing feature, even though it met state packaging requirements.
"I think it really speaks to the role branding can play," said Jessica Fitts Willoughby, a professor in the Murrow College and co-author of the study. "Teens aren't necessarily making distinctions between what's a package design element and what's part of a company's brand identity. They see logos, colors and icons as features that could appeal to underage audiences."
The findings raise questions about whether current regulations fully capture how young people perceive cannabis products. Washington already prohibits cartoons and bubble lettering on cannabis packaging, but participants frequently identified colorful logos, playful fonts and other branding elements as appealing despite their compliance with existing rules.
The issue is not unique to cannabis. Hust noted that tobacco companies faced similar scrutiny decades ago, leading to the eventual removal of cartoon mascots such as Joe Camel after critics argued they appealed to children. While cannabis regulations already prohibit cartoons, the new findings suggest youth may still respond to branding elements that fall outside those restrictions.
"What we found is that participants are interpreting some of these design features differently than regulations might anticipate," Hust said. "If the goal is to make products less appealing to underage individuals, it's important to understand how adolescents are actually perceiving what's on the package."
The researchers say adolescent perspectives should play a larger role in discussions about cannabis packaging regulations.
"We have language in Washington's regulations that products should not be especially appealing to youth," Willoughby said. "To understand what that means, we need to continue talking with teens and young adults about what they see and how they're interpreting these products."
