As part of a first-of-its-kind review, Spotlight PA investigated claims made on Pennsylvania cannabis companies’ websites and found a wide range of misleading tactics.

HARRISBURG — Some Pennsylvania cannabis companies are using incomplete or misleading claims to promote marijuana as a treatment for opioid addiction, potentially putting patients’ lives at greater risk, a Spotlight PA investigation has found.

In a first-of-its-kind review, Spotlight PA examined more than 60 websites offering services in Pennsylvania and consulted numerous health policy experts about the validity of the claims. In some instances where medical research was cited on a website or by a company official, the news organization directly contacted study authors.

The investigation found a wide range of misleading tactics: cherry-picking and misrepresenting parts of studies, making broad claims without citing any specific research, and providing incomplete information about what it takes to qualify for the state’s medical marijuana program.

About half the websites promoted cannabis dispensaries, while the other half were for physicians or companies that help certify patients.

The most alarming examples, according to several of the experts, were online statements made by two companies that help patients become certified to buy medical marijuana at state dispensaries.[Read More @ The Philadelphia Inquirer]