Media Content Analysis of Marijuana’s Health Effects in News Coverage

The prevalence of marijuana use has doubled in the past decade. One in eight US adults now reports use of marijuana in the past year.1 Despite increasing use, our understanding of the risks and benefits of marijuana use is limited.1–3 The National Academy of Sciences, editorials, and numerous systematic reviews have called for more research.1–3 Despite concerns within the scientific community, only 33% of the public perceive “great risk” from weekly marijuana use compared to 50% in 2002.1 The public appears to believe that recreational marijuana use is safe and even has health benefits.1 The media contributes greatly to the national perspective on health 4 but may provide incomplete information.4 We examined a cross-section of news media coverage to better understand how the media may influence the public’s view of marijuana.