Cannabis UseNCT06171399
Cannabis Edibles Packaging Descriptors Experiment
A study testing "All Natural" descriptor, "Gluten-free" descriptor and "Vegan" descriptor in people with Cannabis Use, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to assess differences in perceptions of product appeal, harm, and subsequent willingness to try cannabis edibles products with/without product descriptors of interest. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 65 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Cannabis Use
- What is being tested?
- "All Natural" descriptor, "Gluten-free" descriptor and "Vegan" descriptor
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 2,521 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 15 Mar 2024to 15 Apr 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 65 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- US resident
- Aged 18-65, inclusive
- Up to 13% of participants will be those who identify as Black/African American
- Up to 16% of participants will be those who identify as Hispanic
- Approximately 50% of participants will be past year cannabis users
Who cannot join
- Does not currently reside in the United States
- Younger than 18 or older than 65
- Does not provide information regarding history of cannabis use
- Otherwise eligible but demographic and/or user group quotas have been met
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Winston-Salem, North Carolina, 27157
About this study
Official title: The Impact of Cannabis Edibles Packaging Descriptors on Consumer Appeal, Harm Perceptions and Willingness to Try
The purpose of this study is to assess differences in perceptions of product appeal, harm, and subsequent willingness to try cannabis edibles products with/without product descriptors of interest.
Read the detailed description
Cannabis edibles are rapidly leading the legal recreational cannabis market. They present health harms that are not typical of smoked marijuana, including accidental overconsumption of high levels of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Product packaging plays an important role in influencing perceptions of a product's appeal and potential harm. This experiment will assign participants to view real cannabis edibles packaging edited with one of nine commonly used product descriptors found on real cannabis edibles products, and ask a series of questions to assess perceptions of product appeal and harm. One group of participants will serve as the control and will see the same cannabis edibles packaging without any product descriptors.
- Conditions
- Cannabis Use
- Being tested
- "All Natural" descriptor, "Gluten-free" descriptor, "Vegan" descriptor, "100% Organic" descriptor, "Handcrafted" descriptor
- Keywords
- Cannabis use
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
"All Natural" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Gluten-free" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Vegan" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"100% Organic" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Handcrafted" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Made with live resin" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Fast-acting" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Relax" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
"Energy Boost" descriptorBehavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
No descriptor (control)Behavioural
Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| "All Natural" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "All Natural." Receives: Behavioral: "All Natural" descriptor |
| "Gluten-free" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Gluten-free" Receives: Behavioral: "Gluten-free" descriptor |
| "Vegan" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Vegan" Receives: Behavioral: "Vegan" descriptor |
| "100% Organic" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "100% Organic" Receives: Behavioral: "100% Organic" descriptor |
| "Handcrafted" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Handcrafted" Receives: Behavioral: "Handcrafted" descriptor |
| "Made with live resin" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Made with live resin" Receives: Behavioral: "Made with live resin" descriptor |
| "Fast-acting" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Fast-acting" Receives: Behavioral: "Fast-acting" descriptor |
| "Relax" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Relax" Receives: Behavioral: "Relax" descriptor |
| "Energy Boost" descriptor | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Energy Boost" Receives: Behavioral: "Energy Boost" descriptor |
| No descriptor (control) | Experimental | Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) without any product descriptors Receives: Behavioral: No descriptor (control) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Product Appeal
One item to assess the appeal of the product. Results will be reported as mean for all products within condition. Question: How appealing is this product to you? Response Options: (0) Not at all appealing to (10) Very appealing
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Product Harm Perceptions (Absolute)
One item to assess participants' opinions of safety of the product. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How safe do you think it would be to eat the edible in this package? Response options: (1) Completely unsafe, (2) Somewhat unsafe, (3) Somewhat safe, (4) Completely safe
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Willingness to Try Free Sample
One item to assess participants' willingness to try a free sample of the product shown. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How interested would you be in a free sample of this product? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) Slightly; (3) Somewhat; (4) Moderately; (5) Very
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Package Appeal
One item to assess appeal of the packaging of the product. Results with be reported as mean for all products within conditions. Question: How appealing is this packaging to you? Response Options: (0) Not at all appealing to (10) Very appealing
Measured: 1 min
Package Harm Perceptions (Absolute)
One item to assess participants' opinions of product safety based on the packaging. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How much does this packaging make you think this edible is safe to consume? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) A little; (3) Somewhat; (4) A lot
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 min
Willingness to Try Product
One item to assess the participants' willingness to try the product based on the packaging. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How much does seeing this packaging make you want to try this edible? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) A little; (3) Somewhat; (4) A lot
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 min
Secondary outcomes (2)
Appeal to Children Responses
One item to assess the participants' assessment of the product packaging's potential appeal to children. Results will be reported as mean for all products within condition. Questions: How appealing do you think this packaging would be to children? Response Options: (0) Not at all appealing to (10) Very appealing
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Product Harm Perceptions (Relative)
One question assessing participants' opinions of safety of the product compared to other, similar, products. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: Compared to other edible products on the market, how safe do you think the edible in this package is? Response Options: (1) Much less safe; (2) Somewhat less safe; (3) As safe; (4) Somewhat safer; (5) Much safer
Measured: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Dec 2023
- Study start15 Mar 2024
- Primary completion15 Apr 2024
- Study completion15 Apr 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Cannabis UseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 2,521 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health Sciences
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Beth Reboussin, PhD, Principal investigator, Wake Forest University Health Sciences
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06171399
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB00104038
- Other IDs
- R01DA053209
- Status last verified
- Nov 2023
- First submitted
- 5 Dec 2023
- Last updated
- 9 May 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Reboussin BA, Lazard AJ, Wagoner KG, Sutfin EL, Romero-Sandoval EA, Egan KL, Suerken CK, Zizzi AR, Horton OE, Lake S, Varma T, Cork K, Cornacchione Ross J. The Impact of Product Packaging on Perceptions of Cannabis Edibles: Results from Two Randomized Experiments. Subst Use Misuse. 2026 May 23:1-11. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2670605. Online ahead of print.
PubMed 42176349
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 May 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- The Impact of Cannabis Edibles Packaging Descriptors on Consumer Appeal, Harm Perceptions and Willingness to Try
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06171399
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- IRB00104038
- Conditions
- Cannabis Use
- Keywords
- Cannabis use
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 2,521 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Wake Forest University Health SciencesUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Study start
- 15 Mar 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 15 Apr 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 15 Apr 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Dec 2023 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 1 Apr 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to assess differences in perceptions of product appeal, harm, and subsequent willingness to try cannabis edibles products with/without product descriptors of interest.
Detailed description
Cannabis edibles are rapidly leading the legal recreational cannabis market. They present health harms that are not typical of smoked marijuana, including accidental overconsumption of high levels of Delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Product packaging plays an important role in influencing perceptions of a product's appeal and potential harm. This experiment will assign participants to view real cannabis edibles packaging edited with one of nine commonly used product descriptors found on real cannabis edibles products, and ask a series of questions to assess perceptions of product appeal and harm. One group of participants will serve as the control and will see the same cannabis edibles packaging without any product descriptors.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 10
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| "All Natural" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "All Natural" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "All Natural." |
| "Gluten-free" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Gluten-free" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Gluten-free" |
| "Vegan" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Vegan" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Vegan" |
| "100% Organic" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "100% Organic" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "100% Organic" |
| "Handcrafted" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Handcrafted" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Handcrafted" |
| "Made with live resin" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Made with live resin" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Made with live resin" |
| "Fast-acting" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Fast-acting" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Fast-acting" |
| "Relax" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Relax" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Relax" |
| "Energy Boost" descriptor | Experimental | Behavioral: "Energy Boost" descriptorFour edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) with the product descriptor "Energy Boost" |
| No descriptor (control) | Experimental | Behavioral: No descriptor (control)Four edible product packages (gummies, chocolate, mints, cookies) without any product descriptors |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- US resident
- Aged 18-65, inclusive
- Up to 13% of participants will be those who identify as Black/African American
- Up to 16% of participants will be those who identify as Hispanic
- Approximately 50% of participants will be past year cannabis users
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Does not currently reside in the United States
- Younger than 18 or older than 65
- Does not provide information regarding history of cannabis use
- Otherwise eligible but demographic and/or user group quotas have been met
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| "All Natural" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "All Natural" descriptor |
| "Gluten-free" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Gluten-free" descriptor |
| "Vegan" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Vegan" descriptor |
| "100% Organic" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "100% Organic" descriptor |
| "Handcrafted" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Handcrafted" descriptor |
| "Made with live resin" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Made with live resin" descriptor |
| "Fast-acting" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Fast-acting" descriptor |
| "Relax" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Relax" descriptor |
| "Energy Boost" descriptorParticipants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | "Energy Boost" descriptor |
| No descriptor (control)Participants in the nine intervention conditions will be shown four cannabis edibles packages that have been altered to contain one of the product descriptors of interest. All participants will see the same four products, and each condition will see the products with the same descriptor. | Behavioural | No descriptor (control) |
Primary outcome
Product Appeal
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
One item to assess the appeal of the product. Results will be reported as mean for all products within condition. Question: How appealing is this product to you? Response Options: (0) Not at all appealing to (10) Very appealing
Product Harm Perceptions (Absolute)
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
One item to assess participants' opinions of safety of the product. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How safe do you think it would be to eat the edible in this package? Response options: (1) Completely unsafe, (2) Somewhat unsafe, (3) Somewhat safe, (4) Completely safe
Willingness to Try Free Sample
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
One item to assess participants' willingness to try a free sample of the product shown. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How interested would you be in a free sample of this product? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) Slightly; (3) Somewhat; (4) Moderately; (5) Very
Package Appeal
Time frame: 1 min
One item to assess appeal of the packaging of the product. Results with be reported as mean for all products within conditions. Question: How appealing is this packaging to you? Response Options: (0) Not at all appealing to (10) Very appealing
Package Harm Perceptions (Absolute)
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 min
One item to assess participants' opinions of product safety based on the packaging. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How much does this packaging make you think this edible is safe to consume? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) A little; (3) Somewhat; (4) A lot
Willingness to Try Product
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 min
One item to assess the participants' willingness to try the product based on the packaging. Results will be reported as the number of each type of response. Question: How much does seeing this packaging make you want to try this edible? Response Options: (1) Not at all; (2) A little; (3) Somewhat; (4) A lot
2 secondary outcomes
Appeal to Children Responses
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Product Harm Perceptions (Relative)
Time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 May 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 42176349Reboussin BA, Lazard AJ, Wagoner KG, Sutfin EL, Romero-Sandoval EA, Egan KL, Suerken CK, Zizzi AR, Horton OE, Lake S, Varma T, Cork K, Cornacchione Ross J. The Impact of Product Packaging on Perceptions of Cannabis Edibles: Results from Two Randomized Experiments. Subst Use Misuse. 2026 May 23:1-11. doi: 10.1080/10826084.2026.2670605. Online ahead of print.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Beth Reboussin, PhD principal investigator
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing "All Natural" descriptor, "Gluten-free" descriptor and "Vegan" descriptor in people with Cannabis Use, run by Wake Forest University Health Sciences at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 5 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 9 May 2025. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 1 Apr 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Product Appeal (time frame: After exposure to product packaging up to 1 minute). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT06171399, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 9 May 2025.