Poster Paper:
Cannabis Promotion in Ontario: A Descriptive Review and Analysis of Online Venues Post-Legalization.
Thursday, July 23, 2020
Meeting Room 1 (Online Zoom Webinar)
*Names in bold indicate Presenter
Introduction: In 2018, the Canadian federal government passed the Cannabis Act, legalizing all nonmedical cannabis. The Cannabis Act controls sales, including advertising and marketing restrictions of cannabis. Methods: A descriptive review and analysis of online cannabis promotion violations in Ontario, Canada was performed. For cannabis companies granted licenses by Health Canada up to January 2020, websites and social media accounts were searched including Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Online venues were scanned for health-related promotional violations, which were classified based on the Cannabis Act. Results: Of the license holders (LHs), 78% (79/101) had company websites, 57% (58/101) Facebook pages 49% (49/101), Instagram accounts, and 56% (57/101) Twitter accounts. At least one violation on any venue was observed in 73% (73/101) of LHs. Violations by venue were observed in 77% (61/79) of websites, 88% (51/58) of Facebook pages, 80% (39/49) of Instagram accounts, and 72% (41/57) Twitter accounts. No age restriction accounted for 26% (52/198) of violations across venues. Omission of Risk accounted for 19% (37/198) of violations across all platforms, while Unsubstantiated Claims accounted for 15% (30/198). Discussion: Compliance with promotional principles in the Cannabis Act is inadequate. Especially on social media accounts, age restrictions on promotion to individuals under the legal age need improvement. Efficacy claims require evidence as well as a fair balance with cannabis risks. Conclusion: We propose several policy improvements including license holder training, testing, and uniform succinct risk statements required on all venues.
