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DOH and contractor unveil ‘Cannabis Safely’ campaign to reach adults, emphasize driving safety and storage
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Summary
The Department of Health presented a new bilingual consumer-education campaign aimed at adults 21+, focusing on preventing driving-impaired use, securing products from youth and pets, and guidance on high-THC products; partners may distribute a printed booklet through local channels and discussions with the Liquor and Cannabis Board are under way.
The Washington Department of Health on Jan. 2026 introduced a new statewide consumer-education campaign, 'Cannabis Safely,' aimed at adults 21 and older and created with state partners and contractor GMMB.
Adriana Avelar, DOH cannabis health educator, described the campaign as designed ‘‘to help adults 21 and over understand the risks, rules, and responsibilities of retail cannabis in Washington state.’’ The campaign includes bilingual digital assets, short videos, a printable booklet available through the ADAI Clearinghouse and a password-protected partner toolkit with talking points and ready-to-share materials.
Why it matters: Presenters said the campaign prioritizes traffic safety messaging (plan a ride home; driving while high is dangerous and illegal), product literacy (check labels, particularly high-THC products), safe storage to prevent youth and pet access, and buying from licensed retailers. The materials aim to reach 21–35-year-olds, a demographic the presenters said is more likely to engage in risky behaviors.
Evaluation and distribution: Scott Stroup, the GMMB contractor, said a recent statewide media buy in December produced strong process metrics (impressions and click-throughs) and positive anecdotal feedback on the booklets, but long-term impact evaluation is planned later and depends on funding. DOH said some local contractors have provided booklets to retailers and that they are coordinating with the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board about retail distribution.
"Buy from licensed retailers and remember, high THC products can hit harder than expected. So always check the label," one of the campaign videos states.
The commission encouraged partner agencies to share assets through their channels and flagged potential partner uses such as placing booklets at driver scale houses and other high-contact sites to reach motorists.
Presenters said they will continue to collect process metrics and work with DOH on potential outcome evaluations as funding permits.
