With the status of legalized marijuana in flux, there’s a lot of confusion in our communities. What’s legal? Who can use it? Do these new laws mean it is risk-free?

Answering these questions requires clear, objective, science-based messages on topics like legal possession, DUI laws, and where you can legally use marijuana, as well as the health considerations of legal use. Campaigns should increase knowledge of health risks for priority populations like youth and pregnant and breastfeeding women.

Since 2017, Rescue has worked with five U.S. states—and internationally—to develop and implement comprehensive marijuana campaigns, including prevention for at-risk audiences and legal communications campaigns for states that have newly legalized non-medical use. This evidence-based work is centered around findings from 77 focus groups, 74 one-on-one interviews, and 5 online surveys with over 5,700 participants, and learnings from four implemented campaigns. Rescue applies this expertise to create a pressure-tested, data-driven approach that helps new states reach priority populations with effective and relevant messaging.