Cannabis Prevention & Education Campaigns in Illinois

Problem

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Illinois made effective substance use prevention campaigns essential—but the state of Illinois wanted to understand if these campaigns met their goals.

The Let's Talk Cannabis Illinois and Unfaded campaigns were launched by Rescue Agency in collaboration with Prevention First and the Illinois Department of Human Services to provide evidence-based information to dispel myths and equip individuals with the knowledge to make responsible choices regarding substance use.

The evaluation of the Let's Talk Cannabis Illinois and Unfaded campaigns aimed to assess the target audiences’ exposure to and engagement with each campaign, evaluate the extent to which the campaigns achieved their objectives in raising awareness and educating about cannabis and substance use among priority audiences, and provide recommendations for enhancing future campaign implementation.

Solution

NORC supported the evaluation of state substance use campaigns.

The Social Data Collaboratory’s evaluation methodology of the Let's Talk Cannabis Illinois and Unfaded campaigns involved a mixed-method approach, including focus group research, survey research, and social media evaluation of cannabis dispensary messaging.

Focus groups facilitated in-depth discussions among participants, providing nuanced insights into campaign effectiveness and audience engagement. Surveys complemented this qualitative data by capturing quantitative information, enabling statistical analysis and comparisons based on campaign exposure. Specifically, survey research investigated cross-sectional associations between campaign exposure and attitudes and behaviors relevant to the campaign among target audiences.

Social media listening offered valuable insights into the content and reach of Illinois cannabis dispensaries, shedding light on their contribution to the broader discourse around cannabis use.

Result

The evaluation provided valuable insights for future campaigns to ensure their effectiveness and relevance among their target audiences.

The evaluation revealed that the Let's Talk Cannabis Illinois campaign was successful in reaching its target audience of moderate adult users with positive feedback indicating its effectiveness. People appreciated the campaign’s non-judgmental tone and key elements of the messaging were particularly effective. The evaluation provided valuable recommendations for future messaging to the new and expecting mothers target audience to ensure credibility and relevance.

The Unfaded campaign also presented opportunities to enhance its credibility and relevance among its target audience. The evaluation identified opportunities to broaden the reach of the campaigns and involve cannabis users in the creative process. Effective message placement helped better reach Black/Hispanic target audiences prioritized by health equity considerations. Overall, the evaluation provided valuable insights for future campaigns to ensure their effectiveness and relevance among their target audiences.