Cannabis edibles: Labels should convey THC levels more accurately

Most young adults do not understand the advertised levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) in edibles, a new study finds, but the researchers have come up with better way of communicating this information on labels.

Research from 2015–2016 shows that, in the United States, almost 10% of the adult population and nearly 24% of youth had used cannabis in the previous year.

Since then, usage has only increased — for instance, one study showed that 33% of teens in grades 9–12 in California had used cannabis in their lives and that most of them had consumed edibles.

Edibles — foods such as cookies, brownies, and candies that contain cannabis — have raised concerns as their popularity has increased in recent years.

Some basis for concern involves marketing that mimics that of regular sweets. Consumers often underestimate the potential effects of edibles — they may not realize how much THC, the main psychoactive element in cannabis, the products contain.

So, new research has investigated the ways in which the THC content of edibles is reflected on labels and how well various labeling systems communicate this information to young consumers.

Prof. David Hammond, of the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo, in Canada, is the final and corresponding author of the new study, which appears in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.

Prof. Hammond explains the motivation for the study, saying, “Using THC numbers to express potency of cannabis products has little or no meaning to most young Canadians.” [Read More @ Medical News Today]