Caitlin is a PhD candidate at The University of Queensland. Her research focuses on cannabis health promotion and harm reduction, including how people are exposed to and perceive cannabis-related information and the effectiveness of health promotion materials in communicating the potential risks of cannabis use.

Abstract

Co-designing and evaluating youth cannabis health literacy materials under public attitude shifts

Aims: In Australia, public attitudes toward cannabis use and policy are shifting, with growing support for recreational legalisation. Cannabis health literacy messaging for young people is increasingly needed to improve understanding of potential harms. This study explored whether cannabis health promotion materials co-designed with young people with lived experience of cannabis use are perceived as more effective than existing government-produced materials.

Methods: Young people with lived experience of cannabis use participated in focus groups to review researcher-developed and AI-assisted cannabis health promotion materials. Messages were generated using ChatGPT 5.0, refined for accuracy, and paired with Canva AI images. Twenty prototypes addressed cannabis-related harms and psychological theory (Health Belief Model and Transtheoretical Model). Feedback informed revisions before effectiveness testing against government campaign materials.

Results: Nineteen lived experience participants aged 17–25 years participated in focus groups (4–6 participants per group). 31% reported less-than-monthly use, while 26% reported past month use. Participants reported that the materials should use more realistic imagery, reduce the amount of text, and improve consistency between visuals and messaging. Participants preferred materials that were simple, made them think about their cannabis use, and incorporated statistics.

Conclusions: Cannabis health literacy materials developed with input from people with lived experience of cannabis use may improve the relevance and acceptability of messaging for young people. Incorporating consumer feedback during development may strengthen future cannabis harm reduction campaigns. Further research will examine the comparative effectiveness of these materials against existing government-produced campaigns.