Leah Ranney
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology
Cannabis is the third most commonly used substance in the United States. Almost half of U.S.
- Fields
Public Health & Epidemiology
Social Science
Psychology
- Topics
cannabis
marijuana
warning labels
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Mar 2029
What they work on
- Examine the legal and regulatory landscape of U.S. cannabis warning labels, through a comprehensive legal analysis and key informant interviews with state cannabis regulators.
- Develop a set of evidence-based cannabis warnings and identify which features, such as icons, color, text length and theme, increase perceived effectiveness, using an expert panel, online experiments and a discrete choice experiment.
- Test in online experiments whether large cannabis warnings with the most promising features increase risk perceptions, knowledge and recall of cannabis harms among adults.
More about the research
adults have used it at some point. Its use is linked to respiratory disease, cognitive problems and car crashes, yet many people underestimate these risks. Warning labels on packages are one way to inform a whole population at once. However, the text-only warnings most states require are small, wordy, hidden on the back of packages, and written like legal disclaimers. This project asks which warning features best communicate the harms of cannabis, and how states could use them in their regulations.
Why it matters
Each state that legalizes cannabis must write rules for warning labels, but there is little U.S. evidence on what works. This project could give state regulators a tested set of cannabis warnings and evidence on which content, size and design features help consumers notice, understand and remember the risks. This could inform policy that helps the public better understand harms such as respiratory disease, cognitive deficits and impaired driving.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Jacob Borodovsky
Dartmouth College, NH·Public Health & Epidemiology
Test whether psychotherapeutic advertising claims, ads saying cannabis treats anxiety or depression, increase THC purchased by users with depression or anxiety, by randomizing 2,000 shoppers across four versions of a simulated online dispensary.
Seth Noar
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, NC·Public Health & Epidemiology
Synthesize experimental studies of alcohol warnings in a meta-analysis to estimate their effects on intentions to reduce drinking and related outcomes such as knowledge and risk beliefs.
Scott Weaver
Georgia State University, GA·Public Health & Epidemiology
Examine how electronic nicotine delivery system characteristics — device type and design, flavors, and ability to relieve cravings — influence smokers' decisions to start, dual-use or fully substitute, using focus groups with 120 adult smokers.
The school
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: 72 labs on PI Pages, $1.6B a year on research, 523 research doctorates a year.
Reach out
A start for your email. Fill in the brackets.