New York State's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM): Cannabis Honestly Campaign
After years of research, New York State's Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) launched the Cannabis Honestly campaign in 2026, a first-of-its-kind youth and family cannabis education initiative for young people ages 11–17 and the parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults who support them. The campaign responds directly to what OCM heard in a Listen + Learn initiative throughout the state: Young people have questions about cannabis, and the adults they trust want credible, science-backed information and practical tools to help them answer those questions.
OCM conducted 23 Listen + Learn sessions across 11 counties, engaging more than 450 New Yorkers, including approximately 300 young people and more than 140 adults. The community engagement team worked closely with OCM’s Cannabis Education Advisory Panel (CEAP), a 15-member team of young people, families, community members, and public health and education experts, to develop and refine the initiative.
What we heard directly shaped the campaign: About 60% of participating young people said they would turn to a parent or trusted adult with questions about cannabis, while only about 10% of the participating trusted adults felt prepared to have those conversations. Young people want honest, balanced information delivered without judgment. Adults want help understanding cannabis themselves and practical ways to talk about it with the young people in their lives.
Cannabis Honestly closes that gap. The initiative provides youth- and adult-focused digital resources, an interactive Cannabis Convo Starter, a Community Engagement Toolkit, educational materials for families and community organizations, and a multilingual media campaign. Together, these resources provide a credible place to get cannabis questions answered while helping parents and other trusted adults feel better equipped to support the young people in their lives.
Cannabis safety is also paramount to the campaign. Cannabis Honestly provides practical information about health effects, legal age, safe storage, regulated versus unregulated products, impaired driving, overconsumption, and when to seek help. Just as importantly, it creates space for honest, stigma-free conversations that keep trusted adults connected to young people as they navigate cannabis information and decisions.
While the Cannabis Honestly campaign has been a success for New Yorkers, the campaign demonstrates how public health education can complement effective regulation throughout the country. These tenets apply to everyone: listen first, respond to what communities say they need, and provide families practical tools to support safer choices. This award is the first step towards bringing the OCM campaign Cannabis Honestly to you, no matter where you live.
Cannabis Honestly’s nomination for the Next Generation Award recognizes a new standard for youth cannabis education. Learn More about the Cannabis Honestly Campaign: Cannabis Honestly
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“New York State's Office of Cannabis Management is honored to be recognized for our role in advancing cannabis safety. It reinforces our dedication to advancing public health, scientific validation, and safety standards in this evolving industry." |
Support The Cannabis Honestly Campaign for the 2026 Next Generation Award.
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