Cannabis is meant to be enjoyable for adults. But when products start looking like candy or cartoons, the line with youth culture becomes blurry. Tobacco’s history shows that even the appearance of marketing to kids can trigger harsh regulations. If cannabis wants a sustainable future, it has to prove it can draw that line for itself, keeping a safe distance from youth culture while still staying creative.
Lessons from Tobacco
Once upon a time, tobacco companies leaned hard into youth culture. Joe Camel, candy cigarettes, neon packaging, and bubblegum-flavored smokes were all part of the playbook. By the early 1990s, research showed six-year-olds recognized Joe Camel almost as easily as Mickey Mouse. That crossover into youth culture helped drive underage smoking and ultimately led to the 1998 Master Settlement Agreement banning cartoons in ads and sponsorships. The lesson for cannabis brands is clear: once the public believes you’re targeting kids, you lose credibility and control over your marketing future.
Cannabis’ Candy Problem
Today, echoes of that playbook are showing up again. The FTC and FDA recently warned companies selling THC edibles packaged like Skittles, Oreos, and Nerds Rope. Regulators called it reckless because children could easily mistake these products for ordinary snacks. In California, a 2025 audit found more than half of reviewed cannabis items used designs “likely attractive to children.” Bright colors, cartoon mascots, and cereal-style labels all blur the line between adult branding and youth culture.
Lifestyle Crossovers
Packaging is only part of the story. Some cannabis brands have leaned into lifestyle marketing so thoroughly that their logos appear on streetwear, music videos, and even kids’ clothing lines. Whatever the intent, the optics are tricky. When children wear cannabis-branded merch, even innocently, it normalizes adult practices in youth culture. Social media amplifies this risk: a 2022 study found six percent of dispensary posts featured cartoon characters, while many offered deep discounts—classic tactics from alcohol and tobacco aimed at youth culture appeal.
Walking the Line
States are already tightening regulations. Colorado bans animal-shaped edibles and requires a universal THC symbol on each piece. New York and California forbid packaging designed to appeal to children. Federal agencies are also acting without waiting for legalization. If the cannabis industry continues to flirt with youth culture, it risks plain packaging mandates or advertising bans.
Cannabis has a chance to write a different story one that keeps products creative and culture-rich without turning them into candy-colored billboards for youth culture. That is how the industry earns trust, protects its future, and avoids the heavy hand of regulators.