Examining the influence of cigar and cannabis co-marketing on packaging perceptions: An experiment with a sample of US youth.

ABSTRACT

SIGNIFICANCE: Cigars are sometimes marketed with cannabis references because they are often used for smoking blunts (i.e., cannabis rolled in cigar paper with or without tobacco). However, little research exists on the impact of cannabis co-marketing on cigar perceptions. METHODS: Participants included 506 US youth (ages 15-20) recruited April-June 2023 through Qualtrics who reported ever using little cigars or cigarillos (LCCs), past 30-day use of LCCs, or susceptibility to using LCCs. We then conducted a between-subjects experiment, randomizing youth to view one of two cigarillo packages 1) a package with cannabis co-marketing (i.e., the package included a cannabis-related flavor descriptor and the word "blunt" appeared in the brand name and product label) or 2) a package with no cannabis co-marketing. We assessed the effects of the packaging on perceptions of product ingredients, addictiveness and harm perceptions, product appeal, susceptibility to using the product shown, and purchase intentions. RESULTS: Packages with cannabis co-marketing were perceived as more likely to contain cannabis (OR 5.56, 95 % CI 3.73, 8.27) and less likely to contain tobacco (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.25, 0.70) or nicotine (OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.40, 0.82). Cannabis co-marketing also led to higher susceptibility to using the product shown (B 0.21, p = 0.02). We did not find evidence that cannabis co-marketing changed harm perceptions or purchase intentions. CONCLUSIONS: Among a sample of US youth, cannabis co-marketing on cigar packages may change perceptions of product ingredients and increase susceptibility to using such products, which could lead to the initiation of cigars and cannabis.