Exploring Marijuana Advertising on Weedmaps, a Popular Online Directory

Abstract

With an increase in the legalization of recreational marijuana across the U.S., advertising for marijuana products is more widespread, especially on the Internet where such practices pose a regulatory challenge. In this study, we examined the content of marijuana advertising on Weedmaps, a popular website that markets marijuana retailers online. A total of 146 recreational marijuana retailers in Colorado and Washington were examined on Weedmaps. We studied the age verification practices made in retailers’ own websites, the presence of health claims they made about marijuana on Weedmaps, and the characteristics of followers of Weedmaps on social media sites. Many retailers had no security measure to determine age (41% in Colorado, 35% in Washington). Approximately 61% of retailers in Colorado and 44% in Washington made health claims about the benefits of marijuana, including anxiety reduction, treatment of depression, insomnia, and pain/inflammation. Inferred demographic characteristics of followers of Weedmaps on Twitter and Instagram revealed that over 60% were male and nearly 70% or more were age 20–29 years old, yet some (15%–18%) were under the age of 20. Our findings indicate that marijuana retailers have a visible presence on the Internet. Potential customers might be enticed by retailers who tout health claims about marijuana use. It may also be appealing for a younger demographic to overlook age restrictions and engage with marijuana retailers via social media. As a whole, our findings can help to guide future policy making on the issue of marijuana-related advertising.

Point-of-sale marketing and context of marijuana retailers: Assessing reliability and generalizability of the marijuana retail surveillance tool

“…In July 2017, two independent observers, the first author and a MPH-level research assistant, visited a sample of 25 Seattle-metro area retailers, randomly selected froma list of retailers derived from Weedmaps.com ( Bierut et al, 2017 ), a user-driven website for locating retail sources that includes forums for discussing products/dispensaries ( Fig. 1 ).…”

“…The MRST was based on relevant and reliable measures, specifically a premise survey used to characterize medical marijuana dispensaries in California ( Thomas & Freisthler, 2016 ) and the vape shop module of the Standardized Tobacco Assessment for Retail Settings (V-STARS) ( Kong et al, 2017 ). Reviews of the literature were conducted to inform assessments of product offerings (e.g., ( Bierut et al, 2017 )), as well as promotional strategies used on marijuana retailer websites (e.g., ( Bierut et al, 2017 )). We also assessed the community context (e.g., proximity to other retailer types) in order to contextualize marijuana retailer location ( Glanz et al, 2005 ).…”

Retail cannabis prices in California through legalization, regulation and taxation

“…But because retailers may add or remove listings from Weedmaps for business or marketing reasons other than opening or closing, Weedmaps provides incomplete and constantly changing coverage of California's retail cannabis market. Bierut et al (2017), another study that uses Weedmaps data, finds that Weedmaps includes about 60% of retailers in Colorado and 40% of retailers in Washington, but does not analyze California retailers on Weedmaps. This uncertainty should be kept in mind when interpreting our data.…”

Sales and Advertising Channels of New Psychoactive Substances (NPS): Internet, Social Networks, and Smartphone Apps

“…The dark net plays a key role in this “super safe drug dealing”, which buyers and sellers can access anonymously to provide drugs and pay for them with a virtual wallet [ 2 ]. Essentially, a few clicks are enough to supply highly psychoactive substances, cheaply and in a low-risk way [ 12 , 13 ], even through smartphone apps [ 14 , 15 ]. Therefore, NPS can be sold to everyone, including very young people, in complete anonymity and easily avoiding law enforcement [ 10 , 16 , 17 ].…”