Getting it Right from the Start

12/11/2025

Another important study we co-authored with Kaiser Permanente—published this week in JAMA Network Open—shows just how inconsistent and inaccurate information about cannabis use in pregnancy remains across California’s retail market.

The “mystery caller” survey reached 505 retailers. 1 in 5 budtenders said prenatal cannabis use is safe, only 40% said it’s unsafe, fewer than 6% mentioned the required pregnancy warning, and nearly a third said edibles are safer despite limited evidence.

Budtenders are often trusted, nonjudgmental advisors, yet many lack accurate information and have no medical training to guide such decisions—leaving pregnant people to navigate mixed messages at a critical moment for maternal and child health.

To protect public health, we need prominent front-of-pack warnings, clear evidence-based health messages, better training for retail workers, and strong public education campaigns.

Read Kaiser Permanente’s full article here:
https://divisionofresearch.kaiserpermanente.org/cannabis-retailers-advice-safety/

12/10/2025

Great to see covering our recent study with UC Irvine researchers on how cannabis retail legalization is affecting youth use in California.

Key finding: while overall teen use hasn’t spiked dramatically, frequent use among 11th graders has increased — up 30% — since retail stores opened. Youth in cities with no cannabis shops used far less than those in areas allowing storefronts.

The study highlights an essential point: local cannabis policies shape youth exposure and health outcomes.

Read article: https://www.psypost.org/frequent-cannabis-use-rose-among-california-teens-after-legalization/

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A new study shows frequent ma*****na use increased among California 11th graders following the 2018 legalization of recreational retail. However, students in cities with bans on dispensaries reported lower usage rates than those with legal shops.

12/04/2025

A new CNN report by Sandee LaMotte highlights a growing — and often misunderstood — public health issue linked to today’s ultra-high-THC cannabis products: cannabis hyperemesis syndrome (CHS), sometimes called “scromiting.”

Doctors across the country are seeing sharp increases in adolescents and daily users arriving at ERs with severe abdominal pain and uncontrollable vomiting. Some teens end up hospitalized multiple times in the same month. Cases rise particularly in states with aggressive commercialization and high-potency products.

This doesn’t mean cannabis should be prohibited or criminalized. But it’s a strong reminder that legal is not the same as safe — especially when high-potency, youth-appealing products are mass marketed as “wellness” without guardrails.

CHS reinforces exactly what we’ve been saying: California needs evidence-informed protections such as potency limits, health warnings, and restrictions on child-appealing products. A balanced, public-health approach isn’t anti-cannabis — it's pro-people.

Read article: https://bit.ly/44aU4uZ

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12/01/2025

A major new review published in JAMA Network and covered by Newsweek takes a hard look at the evidence behind medical cannabis claims — more than 1,000 studies in total.

The authors found that many commonly advertised medical uses remain unproven, even as real medical benefits do exist for some patients, especially those dealing with cancer-related nausea, appetite issues, or certain kinds of pain.

The review also raises concerns that nearly 1 in 3 medical cannabis users develop cannabis use disorder, and that today’s ultra-high-potency products may increase physical and mental health risks.

None of this means cannabis has no therapeutic value. It does.
But it reinforces a growing pattern: legitimate medical uses are getting drowned out by unverified wellness claims and hyper-commercialization.

A balanced, evidence-informed approach is not anti-cannabis.
It simply recognizes that people and patients — not profits — should come first.

The review found that 27 percent of adults from the U.S. and Canada have used cannabis for medical purposes.

11/26/2025

AP’s newest deep dive highlights something we’re seeing more often: for some people — not most, but a meaningful minority — cannabis use can slowly shift from relief to dependence, especially with today’s ultra-high-potency products and aggressive commercialization.

The article’s real power comes from the stories: older adults struggling to cut back, young people dealing with creeping brain fog, and former industry workers caught off guard by products far stronger than what existed decades ago.

None of this means cannabis should be criminalized again. But legal doesn’t mean harmless — and the swing from “Reefer Madness” to “it’s totally benign” misses the real experiences people are having.

This is why Getting it Right from the Start works for a balanced, science-informed, health-first approach to cannabis. Not anti-cannabis — pro-people.

Read the article: https://apnews.com/article/cannabis-disorder-ma*****na-addiction-682ab2ff68586167448e2856fa2e5d09

11/24/2025

A new AP article highlights an important — and often misunderstood — reality: cannabis can be addictive, and cannabis use disorder is on the rise as today’s products reach 20–40% THC and beyond.

While most people who use cannabis won’t develop addiction, a significant minority will, and risk increases with frequent use and higher potency.

This is why California needs strong public health guardrails that keep people safe while acknowledging reality — not industry myths.

At Getting it Right from the Start, we support:
• Potency limits and THC-based taxes to curb the high-potency arms race
• Clear addiction and impairment warnings
• Restrictions on youth-appealing marketing and packaging
• Guaranteed access to lower-potency products

Legality does not mean harmlessness. A safer, evidence-based cannabis marketplace requires thoughtful rules that put health before profit.

Read: https://apnews.com/article/pot-cannabis-use-disorder-ma*****na-addiction-5cd28bf0bde7ce554b74efe8d9e7b238

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Doctors say it's possible to get hooked on pot. There's a widespread misconception that ma*****na is not addictive, and it's expanded as a growing number of states legalize pot.

11/17/2025

New reporting shows a major shift in cannabis: consumers are moving away from ultra-high-potency products and toward lower-dose, effect-based options.

This trend reinforces what public health experts have warned for years — today’s extremely potent cannabis products carry greater addiction and mental-health risks, and safer low-THC choices need to be more prevalent as they are also now in greater demand.

To facilitate this transition, we support:
• Limits on THC potency
• Requirements that retailers offer lower-potency options
• THC-based taxation

A healthier, more sustainable market is possible — and consumers are already showing the way.

Cannabis retailers and product manufacturers are moving away from potency and embracing products that offer "functional THC."

11/14/2025

California’s suspension of the cannabis excise tax increase (AB 564) is already putting critical Prop 64–funded programs at risk.

A new Capitol Weekly piece lays out what’s coming: fewer resources for child care, youth prevention, tribal and community programs, and environmental restoration — all while the illicit market continues to thrive due to overproduction and weak enforcement.

As Youth Forward notes, the state has now walked away from the “revenue-neutral” promise made when the cultivation tax was repealed in 2022. And communities that depended on these funds will feel the cuts first.

At Getting it Right from the Start, we believe California must honor Prop 64’s commitments and protect the programs voters were promised — not give away tax breaks that benefit industry at the expense of kids, families, and the environment.

Read the article: Capitol Weekly – “Bracing for the Fallout from W**d Tax Suspension”

When voters approved Proposition 64 and legalized adult use of ma*****na in the state, there was hope that the illegal market would cease to exist and tax dollars would flow into the state to fund youth education programs and more. Seven years later, the industry says it's struggling to stay afloat.

11/10/2025

URGENT: Congress Could Vote TODAY to Protect Kids and Public Health

A make-or-break vote in Congress could happen within hours — and it will determine whether the federal ban on h**p-derived intoxicants like Delta-8 THC stays in a crucial spending bill.

Big H**p’s allies, including Sen. Rand Paul, are trying to strip the ban out. This is our moment to stop them — and protect kids, families, and communities from the dangerous products that have flooded the market due to loopholes in the 2018 Farm Bill.

Our friends at Smart Approaches to Ma*****na have an action alert for this purpose. Please use it to Tell Congress: KEEP THE H**P BAN IN THE BILL: https://lnkd.in/g-9VHpNB

This isn’t theoretical — states and local governments are already dealing with the fallout. In our policy brief for California local governments, including the Santa Clara County Public Health Department, we detailed how AB 45, which legalized h**p-derived ingredients for human consumption, unintentionally opened the door to psychoactive h**p products masquerading as CBD.

Read our brief "Intoxicating H**p Products" to learn more: https://lnkd.in/g3a8DUmX

Federal lawmakers now have a crucial opportunity to correct this same mistake at the national level — and close the loophole that allowed an addiction industry to flourish unchecked.

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10/31/2025

New research underscores the urgency of protecting youth from cannabis-related harms: A new study published in To***co Control by researchers at UC San Diego finds that cannabis use among teens and young adults may be responsible for roughly 13% of new cases of regular to***co use in the U.S. — a concerning “reverse gateway” trend that challenges long-held assumptions about the relationship between these substances.

While this observational study does not prove causation, it reinforces a growing body of evidence that early cannabis use can increase risks for addiction, psychosis, and cognitive impairment — and now, potentially, to***co use.

At Getting it Right from the Start, we believe protecting youth from early exposure to cannabis is critical to preventing a lifetime of potential harms. That means stronger health warnings, limits on potency, restrictions on advertising and packaging that appeal to youth, and local authority to regulate retail access.

As cannabis becomes increasingly normalized, we must not lose sight of its risks — especially for young people whose brains and futures are still developing.

See story by Fox 5 San Diego: https://fox5sandiego.com/news/health/cannabis-to***co-gateway-effect/

Read the study in To***co Control (UC San Diego Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health): https://to***cocontrol.bmj.com/content/early/2025/10/13/tc-2025-059634

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10/23/2025

Our New Fact Sheet: Understanding Today’s Cannabis Products

The increasing commercialization of cannabis in California — and nationally — has led to uncontrolled product diversification and skyrocketing THC potency. Today’s products look nothing like the cannabis of decades past, and that matters for health.

Our new fact sheet breaks down the science and explains the basics every consumer, parent, and policymaker should know about modern cannabis products — from buds and vapes to edibles and concentrates.

Some Key takeaways:
🔹 Potency matters — Concentrates can contain up to 99% THC, increasing the risk of addiction and psychosis.
🔹 Marketing misleads — Strain names like “cherry pie” or “gelato” are used mainly for branding and often target youth, not to guide consumer choice.
🔹 Inhalation isn’t harmless — Smoking and va**ng cannabis expose users to carcinogens and particulate matter, just like to***co.
🔹 Edibles pose unique risks — With delayed onset and high doses, over-intoxication is common, especially among inexperienced users.
🔹 While intoxicating h**p products are illegal in California, they remain widely sold online — often with no age verification.
🔹 Youth access is rising — In our research, over half of 16–17-year-olds who used cannabis said they got it from legal sources. A Public Health Institute study found that: 54% of 16–17-year-olds who used cannabis got it from legal sources (stores, delivery, or adults purchasing for them). 60% also reported buying from dealers.

As with to***co and alcohol, the more potent, flavored, and aggressively marketed these products become, the greater the risk to young people and public health.

Read our full fact sheet to understand how these products are made, what they contain, and why strong, science-based regulations are essential to protect youth and communities.

https://www.gettingitrightfromthestart.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/Cannabis-Products-Factsheet_FN_10.21.25.pdf

10/17/2025

Our latest peer-reviewed study (i.e. Public Health Institute’s Getting it Right from the Start) in the International Journal of Drug Policy, co-authored with researchers from the UC Irvine School of Population and Public Health and the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, uncovers a troubling reality:

Despite widespread local prohibitions on cannabis delivery in California, violations were common practice in 2021–2022. This lack of enforcement means that non-medical cannabis—and even deliveries to underage youth—were still occurring, undermining local protections.

Key findings:
- 97% of census block groups in California were reached by cannabis delivery businesses.
- Violations of local bans were frequent, even in areas that had explicitly prohibited non-medical delivery.
- Evidence of deliveries to 18–20 year-olds highlights the risks of underage access.

While Senate Bill 1186 has required jurisdiction to allow delivery of medical cannabis statewide, non-medical delivery bans remain in effect. Without proper enforcement, these bans are meaningless.

Our recommendation: Local governments must strengthen and enforce delivery restrictions, especially those to protect youth, and ensure cannabis regulations fulfill their public health purpose.

Read the full study here: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0955395925003159?dgcid=coauthor

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