Instagram brands marketing intoxicating cannabinoids are flooding social media with lifestyle imagery, recreational appeals and youth-oriented memes while providing little information about safety, according to a new Rutgers Health study. The analysis suggests that platforms’ broad and inconsistently enforced cannabis policies allow companies to promote products indirectly, even when posts do not include an explicit sales pitch. Researchers warn that this style of marketing may normalize the use of hemp-derived intoxicating products among adolescents and young adults, an audience that can often view brand content without meaningful age restrictions.
The products examined in the study include delta-8 tetrahydrocannabinol, hexahydrocannabinol and THC-P, compounds that can produce intoxicating effects but have occupied a complicated regulatory space in the United States. Their rapid expansion followed the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill, which defined hemp partly according to its concentration of delta-9 THC and created a pathway for products derived from hemp to enter commercial markets. Manufacturers subsequently used chemical conversion and extraction processes to create cannabinoids that were not always explicitly addressed by state or federal regulations. These compounds have appeared in gummies, beverages, vape cartridges, concentrates, extracts and pre-roll products.
For the study, published in the journal Addiction, investigators conducted a systematic content analysis of 837 Instagram posts published between February 2024 and February 2025 by accounts representing nine leading brands. Rather than measuring sales directly, the researchers coded the posts for recurring marketing characteristics, including product descriptions, recreational themes, health-related claims, safety information, brand positioning and imagery that could appeal to people aged 18 or younger. Content analysis allows researchers to quantify patterns in communication by applying the same classification criteria across a large sample of posts, providing a structured view of how products are presented to the public.
The results showed that product descriptions and product imagery appeared in approximately 75 percent of posts. More than half, or 52 percent, depicted cannabinoid products in recreational settings or as elements of ordinary social and leisure activities. Posts presented the products alongside relaxation, celebrations, food, music and other lifestyle cues, framing intoxication as a routine consumer experience rather than emphasizing possible impairment or health risks. In contrast, warnings about dosage, delayed effects, interactions with medications, accidental ingestion, dependence or other safety concerns were uncommon.
Cannabis beverages received the most intensive promotional treatment. Product images appeared in 97 percent of beverage-related posts, while 84 percent emphasized recreational themes. Approximately 57 percent used youth-oriented appeals, including visual styles or cultural references likely to attract younger audiences, and 40 percent focused on broader brand identity rather than a specific product. The findings are significant because beverages can resemble conventional soft drinks, energy drinks or flavored seltzers, potentially making them less recognizable as intoxicating substances and increasing the risk of confusion or accidental consumption.
Youth-oriented elements appeared in nearly half of all posts examined. Researchers identified cartoons, memes, pop-culture references, influencers and other visual or cultural signals associated with younger audiences. Similar strategies appeared across product categories: youth-focused themes were present in 54 percent of posts promoting vapes and cartridges and 49 percent of posts featuring edibles. Recreational messages were especially common in posts about edibles, appearing in 61 percent, and in posts about pre-rolls or blunts, appearing in 53 percent. The study did not determine how many minors viewed the posts or whether exposure caused product use, but the researchers say the accessibility of such content is itself a public health concern.
The marketing techniques varied in their potential risks because different product forms produce different patterns of exposure. Edibles may take longer to produce intoxicating effects than inhaled products, increasing the possibility that consumers will consume additional amounts before the initial dose takes effect. Vapes and concentrates can deliver highly concentrated cannabinoids rapidly, while beverages may be consumed in social settings where alcohol and other substances are also present. The chemical identity and potency of hemp-derived cannabinoids can vary between products, and labeling may not always communicate the strength or pharmacological properties clearly. These factors make accurate dosing and transparent warnings particularly important.
Rutgers researchers say the problem is compounded by vague language in social media policies governing cannabis and THC-related promotion. Platforms may prohibit direct transactions or advertisements for certain controlled substances while allowing posts that feature packaging, brand slogans, lifestyle scenes or links to external retailers. This creates a distinction between selling a product and building demand for it. A company can avoid an explicit purchase invitation while still associating its brand with humor, social belonging, relaxation or youthful cultural trends. According to Julia Chen-Sankey, an assistant professor at the Rutgers School of Public Health and an author of the study, stronger standards may be needed for content that is misleading, youth-oriented or designed to encourage consumption indirectly.
Kathryn La Capria, a research associate at the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies and a study co-author, said age restrictions and notices stating that products are intended only for adults aged 21 or older were rarely visible in the analyzed posts. Although many states restrict marketing that appeals to children, those rules may not specifically cover hemp-derived intoxicating cannabinoids or content distributed through social media. The researchers argue that platforms should establish clearer definitions of youth-oriented imagery, require prominent safety information and improve age-gating for commercial accounts associated with intoxicating products. They also recommend closer examination of similar marketing practices on YouTube, Facebook and TikTok.
The regulatory landscape may soon change. U.S. Public Law 119-37 narrows the federal definition of hemp and limits the amount of THC permitted per package, effectively prohibiting many intoxicating hemp-derived products currently sold commercially. However, the Rutgers team cautions that changes to product legality will not necessarily erase established online audiences or the marketing infrastructures built around them. Brands may continue using lifestyle imagery, influencer partnerships and brand-centered content even if specific formulations disappear from the market. The researchers therefore call for coordinated action by lawmakers, regulators and social media companies to address misleading health claims, inadequate safety information and youth-directed promotion. The study’s authors include Siyan Meng, Scott Donaldson, Jon-Patrick Allem and Julia Chen-Sankey, with the work supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
Subject of Research: Not applicable
Article Title: Marketing Features of Derived Intoxicating Cannabinoid Product Brands on Instagram: A Content Analysis
News Publication Date: 19-Aug-2026
Web References: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/add.70576; https://www.usda.gov/farming-and-ranching/farm-bill; https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/IF13136; https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12486249/
References: Addiction; Rutgers School of Public Health; Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco Studies; National Institute on Drug Abuse
Keywords: Cannabinoids, delta-8 THC, HHC, THC-P, hemp-derived products, Instagram, social media marketing, youth exposure, cannabis beverages, public health, content analysis, advertising regulation
