UC San Diego Scientists Push For Regulations On Marijuana Advertising

Speaker 1: 00:00 You may see the signs or hear the commercials, they talk about cannabis and all of the health benefits, but are those claims true? While professor John Ayers, a Uc San Diego scientist who wrote a recent column in the Journal of the American Medical Association says not all of them are. His recent column makes the case for regulation in marijuana marketing and he joins us via Skype. Professor Ayers, welcome. Thank you for having me. Now in your column you highlight a brand called med men. Talk to me about that brand and the way they are reaching large audiences to market marijuana. Okay. Speaker 2: 00:35 Mid, mid is one of the first national marijuana and brands, meaning they have to have retail locations in multiple states and they're actually buying advertising that target all 50 states regardless of whether you can purchase recreational marijuana or not. Speaker 1: 00:49 And you say this company and many others like it make health claims, but no health warnings about marijuana. What are some of the health claims being made? Speaker 2: 00:58 Marijuana is being marketed as a cure. All, even though restrictions in California and both nationally put prohibitions on using health claims to market recreational marijuana, that is to say these claims are reckless because there is no substantial evidence showing that marijuana has any therapeutic benefit. For example, the food and Drug Administration who oversees all healthcare delivery in the nation has not approved marijuana for any treatment. Speaker 1: 01:26 Hmm. And, and give me some examples because I know I've read in some places that marijuana can be used to treat opioid addiction, even a, is that an outrageous claim? And now they're more like it? Speaker 2: 01:39 Yeah, exactly. That specific claim is actually been proven false on multiple occasions, including in the Journal of American Medical Association. But for example, they'll claim that marijuana can be used to treat anxiety, pain, addiction withdrawals, uh, menstrual problems, autism, you name. It really has been marketed and targeted for all conditions. And why? Because the reality is, is they're selling a recreational drug, therefore their marketplaces, everyone. So how do you get everyone to use it? One way is you can make health claims that target almost every condition. For example, even acne, a condition that disproportionately affects teens. So in that case you can get users starting even earlier. Speaker 1: 02:23 That leads me into my next question. Uh, how do you feel these, these marketing strategies are targeting youth Speaker 2: 02:31 strategies used by marijuana today are simply copying that big tobacco pipe book using the greatest hits from the 1950s all the way through the 1980s and that is first by using health clients, doctors endorse and their favorite marijuana brand or favorite marijuana product. And secondly, targeting tanks. Why most people who use marijuana start early. So let's get them addicted to our brand early. Therefore companies like med man or creating and selling products to teens that focus on brand loyalty such as I'm mad man varsity jacket that they brand as their med men. High varsity jacket or sailing gingerbread house kit. So you can have a fun family holiday where you and the kids can make a marijuana laced gingerbread house. We see it over and over again. Just this week one marijuana retailer ever released a how to guide, how to tell your parents you're using weed. It's absurd. If any other maker was doing the same type of reckless marketing, they would be almost immediately put out of business due to regulations and also public pushback. Just imagine substituted the word jewel, electronic cigarettes or Budweiser or Marlboro for marijuana and these advertisements. It simply wouldn't stand and that's why we're calling on the federal government to act because this is a problem that not only California in his address, but I'll states Speaker 1: 04:00 and getting back to these health claims, would you characterize them as just flat out false advertising, Speaker 2: 04:06 flat out false advertising? You know, number one, they'll start research, but not all research as equal. And for example, you've seen the marijuana industry actually getting involved in their research Chang. Look at Harvard, Mit. They recently took a $9 million gift from a major backer of a for-profit recreational marijuana retailer. That man, now a million dollar gift is designed to study the health benefits of marijuana. That's outrageous. Imagine if Marlboro was sponsoring research here in San Diego, what the outrage would be, right? It's important that we be aware of that research is in this case, just another way of branding and much of the research they sat is false. The National Academy of Sciences produced the Korean minute report on the medical benefits of marijuana just a year ago reviewing literally tens of thousands of studies and that's the conclusion of that report. Medical marijuana provided no consistent health benefits and they did not endorse the use of marijuana for any medical treatment. Speaker 1: 05:12 Now what warnings would you like to see a company? These advertisements here, Speaker 2: 05:16 let's see, as a cessation of the essence warnings that communicate what the real dangers of marijuana are. Because we've been in a vacuum where the federal government has been sidelined and so now for years a burgeoning marijuana industry that's now developed into big marijuana has been propagating science and research and marketing materials to promote their product and that vacuum is, there is no warning. So the food and Drug Administration and other federal actors need to engage in that. Now they developed consistent health warning messages to include on all marijuana products to include an all marijuana advertising that tells the straight truth. I'm not pro or anti marijuana in any sense. I'm pro science and that's why we want a federal agency that's involved in regulatory science to be what lead in this agenda. I've been speaking with Professor John a or as a scientist with UC San Diego. Provisor Ayers, thank you so much for joining us. Thank you.