Health

Candy colors, THC inside: How cannabis edibles are tricking teen brains

Bright colors, fruit imagery, and labels like "locally made" or "vegan" might seem harmless -- but when used on cannabis edibles, they can send misleading messages to teens.

That's according to a new Washington State University-led study examining how adolescents perceive the packaging of cannabis-infused products such as gummies, chocolates and sodas. Despite regulations barring packaging that targets youth, many teens in the study found these products appealing -- often likening them to everyday snacks or health foods.

The research, conducted in collaboration with Public Health - Seattle & King County, is part of a broader effort to reduce accidental cannabis exposure among teens. The findings could help shape new rules aimed at limiting underage appeal.

"What surprised us was how often these products were interpreted as healthy or natural," said Jessica Willoughby, associate professor in WSU's Murrow College of Communication and co- author of the study, published in the Journal of Health Communication. "When you combine that with vibrant packaging and familiar fruit flavors, it's easy to see how these items start to look like snacks -- not something potentially harmful or illegal for teens."

Researchers conducted virtual focus groups and interviews with 28 Washington teens, ages 13 to 17, using real product photos from stores to prompt discussion. With parental permission, participants shared which packaging elements caught their eye and why.

The teens consistently pointed to bright, colorful designs and packaging that resembled healthy snacks as particularly appealing. Some said they'd display the packaging in their rooms or use it in social media posts. Others said terms like "locally made" and "vegan" made the products feel more aligned with their personal values -- even if they knew the items contained cannabis.

"Our findings suggest that teens are drawn not just to the look of these packages, but to what the design represents," said Stacey Hust, a professor in WSU's Murrow College and the study's lead author. "They saw these products as trendy, natural and aspirational -- qualities that resonate with their identities and beliefs."

The study also showed that teens with greater familiarity with cannabis -- either through personal use or family exposure -- were more likely to notice warning labels and dosage information. Those with less knowledge often overlooked health warnings or didn't recognize cannabis symbols at all.

The results raise concerns for health educators and policymakers as cannabis edibles become more prevalent. The researchers recommend incorporating teen perspectives into regulatory discussions and increasing cannabis literacy through targeted education efforts.

"Teens are telling us what speaks to them -- and sometimes it's not what adults expect," said Sarah Ross-Viles, youth cannabis prevention manager with King County and study co-author. "If we're serious about making cannabis packaging less appealing to youth, we need to use their insights to guide smarter, more effective regulations."

The WSU team recently worked with Public Health - Seattle & King County health officials and the Washington State Liquor & Cannabis Board to conduct a follow-up quantitative study exploring how packaging elements correlate with perceived teen appeal and intent to use.

While broad changes like plain packaging may ultimately be difficult to implement, the researchers say practical updates -- such as clearer warnings and limiting branding that mimics health food -- could help reduce youth attraction.

"We're not calling for a marketing ban," Hust said. "We're asking for thoughtful regulations that balance the rights of adult consumers with the need to protect kids."

Ross-Viles agreed: "This is about ensuring cannabis packaging serves its real purpose -- informing adult consumers -- without confusing or enticing teens. And now, for the first time, we are getting direct feedback from Washington youth to help make that possible."

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Parkinson’s may begin decades earlier — and your immune system might know first

Your T cells work hard to fight disease. Unfortunately, "friendly fire" from T cells can sometimes harm the body's healthy tissues.

For people with autoimmune disease, T cell reactivity is a big problem. Haywire T cell responses lead to autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and inflammatory bowel disease.

In recent years, scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) have discovered that T cells may also contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease. Researchers in the laboratory of LJI Professor Alessandro Sette, Dr.Biol.Sci., have found that many people with Parkinson's disease have T cells that target key proteins, called alpha-synuclein and PINK1, on vulnerable brain cells.

Earlier this year, Sette and his colleagues published a study in npj Parkinson's Disease that sheds light on exactly which subtypes of T cells target alpha-synuclein. Their findings offered further clues that T cell reactivity plays a role in Parkinson's disease. Still, the scientists didn't have a timeline to show when T cells might contribute to disease development.

"We can see these reactive T cells in people after they develop Parkinson's, but what happens before that?" says LJI Visiting Scientist Emil Johansson, Ph.D., a researcher in the Sette Lab and co-author of the study.

Now we have answers. In a new npj Parkinson's Disease paper, Sette and his colleagues show that potentially harmful T cell reactivity is highest during the "prodromal" period in Parkinson's -- the years before patients receive a diagnosis.

"This T cell immunity could be a marker for early Parkinson's treatment, even before people show symptoms," says Sette, who was senior author on the new paper. "And there's reason to think that treating Parkinson's in the very early stages can lead to a better outcome."

How the study worked

The prodromal period in Parkinson's disease can last for decades before a person develops noticeable symptoms such as tremors and cognitive impairments.

Because prodromal Parkinson's disease is very difficult to detect, the LJI team studied T cell reactivity in research volunteers at high risk of developing Parkinson's disease. These volunteers had genetic risk factors for Parkinson's and some had symptoms such as disrupted REM sleep cycles and loss of sense of smell, which can be early signs of Parkinson's disease development.

The researchers used a technique called Fluorospot to learn more about T cells found in blood samples from these study volunteers. This technique revealed which volunteers had high levels of T cells that reacted to alpha-synuclein or PINK1 -- and when those T cell numbers were highest.

Sette and his colleagues found that potentially harmful T cells show up early on, well before the onset of noticeable motor symptoms, such as tremors. "You can see that T cell reactivity before diagnosis," says Sette.

In fact, T cell reactivity to PINK1 was at an all-time high before diagnosis.

Sette warns against jumping to conclusions. Parkinson's is a complex disease, and the new research doesn't prove that T cells are actually driving the inflammation associated with Parkinson's disease.

"Parkinson's disease is associated with the destruction of nervous system cells. Does that destruction cause autoimmunity -- or is the autoimmunity the cause of the disease? That's the chicken-and-the-egg of inflammation in Parkinson's disease," says Sette.

"Certainly, the fact that this T cell reactivity is highest when patients are closest to a diagnosis is intriguing," Sette adds. "The finding suggests T cells could have something to do with it."

Next steps for helping patients

The new research may guide the development of early diagnostic tools. In the meantime, LJI scientists are looking for ways to block inflammation and protect brain cells.

As Johansson explains, some T cells actually help dial back inflammation to protect our tissues. "We want to see if there are specific T cells that are protective," says Johansson. "Could they interfere in inflammation and maybe reduce the number of autoimmune T cells?"

Sette and his colleagues are also working to understand the role of T cells in other neurodegenerative diseases.

"We are very interested in diseases such as Alzheimer's, for example, where a lot of progress has been made toward identifying people in very early stages of the disease progression," says Sette.

Additional authors of the study, "T cell responses towards PINK1 and α-synuclein are elevated in prodromal Parkinson's disease," included first author Antoine Freuchet, Gregory P. Williams, Tanner Michealis, April Frazier, Irene Litvan, Jennifer G. Goldman, Roy N. Alcalay, David G. Standaert, Amy W. Amara, Natividad Stover, Edward A. Fon, Ronald B. Postuma, John Sidney, David Sulzer, and Cecilia S. Lindestam Arlehamn.

This study was supported by LJI & Kyowa Kirin, Inc. (KKNA- Kyowa Kirin North America), the Swedish Research Council (grant references 2024-00175), Aligning Science Across Parkinson's (ASAP-000375), and the Michael J. Fox Foundation.

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