Rhode Island Campaign Warns Against “High-Risk” Cannabis Use

The Rhode Island Health Department has launched a $130,000 public awareness campaign called “Rhode Island Responsible” to highlight the risks of cannabis consumption for certain individuals, according to an Ocean State Media report.

Health officials said the new campaign will specifically aim to discourage cannabis consumption by youth, pregnant women, and drivers.

Health department data suggests that about 20% of Rhode Island adults are current cannabis consumers, the report said — that’s slightly above the national average of 16%, and more than double the state’s 2017 rate of consumption.

Rhode Island Health Director Dr. Jerome Larkin said that cannabis consumption by Rhode Island high schoolers has declined since 2011; however, nearly a third of the state’s high school students today say they have experimented with cannabis.

“The campaign that we’re running is designed to help people across the state better understand the health risks of cannabis, and it also includes a tool kit with some fact sheets and social media resources. They’re available in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We really just want people to be responsible.” — Larkin, via Ocean State Media

Joseph Wendelken, spokesperson for the Health Department, said funding allocated for the campaign “included work with a vendor on project planning, background research, formative research, materials development, focus groups, and a media strategy and implementation plan;” and that, “As part of the formative research, we completed 500 digital surveys with people who use cannabis in addition to in-depth interviews with subject matter experts.”