How Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid labels affect what people expect and feel from cannabis

Effects of Cannabis Species Labeling and Marketing on Perceptual, Subjective and Objective Use Outcomes

NIH-funded research Johns Hopkins University · NIH-11326329

This project looks at whether labeling cannabis as Indica, Sativa, or Hybrid changes what adults expect, how they feel right after using it, and how they perform on tasks.

Quick facts

Grant typeR01 grant
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionJohns Hopkins University NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Baltimore, United States)
Project IDNIH-11326329 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

If you join, you'll be an adult (21+) who is shown cannabis products with different species labels and marketing claims and asked about your expectations. You may use or sample products in a controlled setting and report how you feel afterward. Researchers will also measure objective short-term effects such as performance on tasks related to attention or driving. The goal is to see whether labels alone change perceptions, subjective effects, and real-world safety-related behaviors.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Adults aged 21 or older who use or might use recreational cannabis are the ideal candidates for participation.

Not a fit: People under 21, those who do not use cannabis, or whose cannabis use is strictly medical may not get direct benefit from this project.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to clearer labeling and marketing rules that help people make safer choices about cannabis use.

How similar studies have performed: Research in tobacco and other consumer products shows labeling can change perceptions, but controlled experiments specifically testing cannabis species labels are limited and relatively new.

Where this research is happening

Baltimore, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-13 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.