Medicinal cannabis targeting young people with online ads

ABC NEWS (Australia)

A public health researcher has found medicinal cannabis centres are aggressively targeting young people with advertising. The centres are reportedly using demographic data and third-party cookies to target their ads, despite it being illegal to advertise medicinal cannabis products in Australia.

Transcript

00:00Many Australians that use medicinal cannabis, they would typically go to their GP to get

00:06a prescription.

00:07However, many can also bypass their GP and buy it online from a private telehealth clinic

00:14after a short telehealth appointment.

00:17On many of these private websites, patients are also encouraged to self-assess their eligibility.

00:23So while that has been framed as a helpful tool, this self-assessment process can also

00:29be misleading because it's subtly coached users on which conditions that are likely

00:34to justify a prescription.

00:36So this may lead some people to believe that they need medicinal cannabis even when the

00:41clinical benefit is uncertain or to overestimate the quantity required or increasing the risk

00:47of overuse.

00:48So does that first step or those first steps in this process need to be tightened?

00:53Yeah.

00:55So while Aqra's recent reaction to address unsafe prescribing or medicinal cannabis is

01:01a much needed step, they might not be enough in my opinion.

01:05The current efforts focused on identifying high prescribing practitioners did not actually

01:10address the downstream clinical behaviours like the broader commercial ecosystem that drives

01:16the demand like how medicinal cannabis is being marketed online, especially on platforms

01:22that are frequented by young people.

01:24Okay.

01:25So what are the regulations around advertising of medicinal cannabis in Australia?

01:32It is illegal to advertise any medicinal, including medicinal cannabis products to the general public.

01:38And this includes both products that are approved and unapproved products.

01:42So the prohibition also includes all forms of media like print, online, social media, etc.

01:49It also prohibits the indirect or implied advertising.

01:53So not just explicit product advertisement.

01:55For example, if they were to use colloquial names on their pictures, logos, or even hint

02:02about plant-based medicine, cannabis clinics or prescription, that also can be taken as advertising.

02:08So is there a lot of advertising going on regardless and through which platforms?

02:14Yeah.

02:15Despite the clear ban on advertising medicinal cannabis to the public under the TGA rules,

02:21there is a lot of advertising going on in various forms and platforms.

02:26I found, for example, many private clinics are using advertisement to reach young people,

02:32including those who are as young as 18.

02:34So this one company went and searched, ran more than 170 active advertisements this month alone

02:41across Facebook and Instagram.

02:44And the type of ads that I've seen, they use a lot of cryptic messaging, such as,

02:49we can't shout about it, but our patients are smiling.

02:52And it's often, these ads are also often paired with bright colors and wellness themed imagery.

02:59While these ads do not actually mention medicinal cannabis directly,

03:03the messaging is clearly designed to spark curiosity and build brand recognition,

03:08especially among our younger audience.

03:10So how concerned should the community be about this?

03:13And do those laws need to be tied, the advertising laws,

03:16and the policing of those laws need to be increased?

03:22Yes, I don't believe that the current laws need to be tightened

03:25because research do show that exposure to cannabis advertisement could promote

03:30not the normalization of cannabis use, particularly among young people,

03:34especially when it's promoted as a low risk, all purpose solution.

03:38It could also increase demand and dependence when cannabis is prescribed

03:43without exit strategies or long term monitoring.

03:46And then we also worry about the diversion of prescribed products,

03:50especially when patients are sharing their prescribed products

03:55or misusing prescribed cannabis for non-medical purposes.

03:59Of course it takes do to reduce their medical condition.

04:01Cort

04:02or

04:03So, let'sェengage videos.

04:06Now I'll be all honest.

04:08I'm a speech that feelsiamente vy scripture o number of entrepreneurs.

04:12I'm not speaking with the fact of my natural business,

04:14but this video is關ag sent to people who areוק metro

04:15by the meaning of the nature of the uf.

04:18And other ways of wearing languages.

04:20My friends, we haven't seen any of the issues today.

04:22I've been a frightful particularly discussion with the knowledge of otherasures.

04:24I was told you to express my love Palette

Category

Transcript

Be the first to comment

Recommended