A new federally funded study shows that while the AI function of the popular social media platform Snapchat will readily provide users with information on hemp-based cannabinoids such as delta-8 THC, as well as alcohol, it applies a different standard to marijuana.
The research, published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, assessed AI behavior on Snapchat, putting a stoplight on a seeming double standard between marijuana, hemp-derived cannabinoid products and alcohol—despite Snapchat’s claim that it blocks “results for drug keywords.”
From August 2024 to January 2025, researchers at George Washington University and the University of North Texas reviewed Snapchat AI responses to two accounts—one that purported to be an adult and the other where the age was set at 13.
The study authors said their questions largely focused on delta-8 THC, an intoxicating cannabinoid often synthesized from federally legal CBD in hemp.
“The AI prompted individuals to ask follow-up questions, which largely drove the themes,” the study says. “Themes included general information (similarity to delta-9 THC, but with a purported lower potency; relaxing/euphoric effects; legality), use motives (pain relief, anti-nausea, appetite stimulation, anxiety reduction), potential consequences (dry mouth, red eyes, increased heart rate, drowsiness, contaminated products, inaccurate labeling), retail availability,
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