An Overview Education Shaped by New Yorkers’ Lived Experiences
OCM aims to provide clear, easy-to-understand information about cannabis so New Yorkers can make informed decisions about their health. To help ensure these resources reflect real experiences and community needs, OCM launched the Listen & Learn Series to create space for open conversations with young people and trusted adults across New York State.
Through 23 listening sessions with more than 450 participants, including over 300 young people, OCM gathered perspectives on cannabis, health, and the challenges communities face when navigating information and conversations about cannabis. These insights helped identify gaps in existing education and are informing future public health efforts, including new tools and a statewide education campaign launching soon. Stay tuned and sign up for future updates from OCM.
What happens when you create space for honest conversations?
Through OCM’s Listen & Learn initiative, 23 sessions across New York State brought together more than 450 participants to share their experiences and perspectives on cannabis. Those conversations helped identify important gaps, challenges, and opportunities to strengthen future #NYCannabis education efforts.
What We Heard Most
Common Themes from the Listen & Learns
While the Listen & Learn sessions uncovered a range of experiences and perspectives, several themes consistently emerged across conversations. Young people shared that they want to learn about cannabis from the people they trust most—often parents, caregivers, family members, and other trusted adults. Three additional themes also stood out across discussions:
While the Listen & Learn sessions uncovered a range of experiences and perspectives, several themes consistently emerged across conversations. Young people shared that they want to learn about cannabis from the people they trust most—often parents, caregivers, family members, and other trusted adults. Three additional themes also stood out across discussions:
- The Normalization Gap Cannabis is more visible now, but education often begins too late. Young people absorb messages from many different sources.
- The Trust Gap Parent and caregivers remain the most trusted messengers—yet most feel unprepared or misinformed.
- The Mental Health Link Both generations connect cannabis use to stress and anxiety, highlighting the need for emotional support.
Youth Perspectives What We Heard Most from Young People
Young people across New York are exposed to cannabis early and want clear, relatable, engaging education that reflects their experiences and answers their questions. The following themes were consistent throughout the discussions with young people:
Mental health is a top concern, and young people want support and strategies to cope with how they’re feeling.
Starting conversations about cannabis can be difficult, even with people they trust. Still, parents and caregivers remain their number one trusted go-to for discussions.
Social media is most effective to reach young people with information.
Young people value authenticity and want to help co-create engaging, interactive content that reflects their voices and that will get their attention.
Perspectives from Trusted Adults What We Heard Most from Trusted Adults
Trusted Adults across New York are navigating legal cannabis with concerns about mental health, safety, and how to talk with the young people in their lives. They want clear, practical, and stigma-free guidance. The following themes were consistent throughout the discussions with trusted adults:
Mental health, health effects, and concerns about addiction are central, with ongoing misinformation creating a need for clear, balanced education. They want to know both the good and the bad.
Questions about what’s legal and navigating the legal market persist, alongside a need for Cannabis 101—the basics about different products, potency, and safety.
Trusted adults want practical tools and strategies that support safer use and start conversations with young people about cannabis.
Effective education should use multiple channels, including social media, print materials, and community-based conversations, to reach different adults.
What's Next A New Approach to Cannabis Education
Something new is coming. Built from conversations with communities across New York, OCM’s upcoming public education campaign will take a different approach—one that reflects real life, not assumptions. For the first time, young people and trusted adults helped shape how cannabis education looks, sounds, and shows up.
Coming this Summer:
OCM is excited to share the results of this work including tools, content, and information designed to help fill a long-standing gap and support how people are actually learning, talking, and making decisions about cannabis and their health.
Turning Insights into Action:
Center Mental Health: Mental health emerged as a shared concern for both young people and trusted adults. Integrate mental health into cannabis education and provide tools that support healthy coping strategies and emotional resilience.
Prioritize Facts: Provide clear, science-based, and non-judgmental information that avoids scare tactics. Ensure educational materials are easy to understand across different audiences.
Bridge Communication Gaps: Differences in language and understanding create barriers to honest conversations. Develop tools that help trusted adults understand how young people talk about cannabis and conversation guidance that makes discussions more approachable.
Equip Trusted Adults: Parents, caregivers, and other trusted adults play a central role but need more support. Provide scripts, conversation guides, and real-life scenarios to build confidence and help adults engage in ongoing, meaningful dialogue with young people about cannabis.
Engage Young People as Co-Creators: Young people consistently expressed a desire to be involved. Create opportunities for them to shape messaging, test materials, and contribute creatively to strengthen relevance, trust, and impact.
Sustain and Expand Community Conversations: The Listen & Learn model itself was a valuable strategy. Continue and expand in-person and community-based conversations to help education efforts remain responsive to communities’ evolving needs.
Strengthen School and Community Partnerships: Collaborate with schools and community organizations to integrate consistent, evidence-informed, and age-appropriate resources.
Align Policy, Practice, and Data: Ongoing data collection and community feedback should continue to inform public health guidance and education strategies. Share insights across agencies and partners to support coordinated, consistent messaging, and responsive policies to community needs.
Resources Continue Exploring Cannabis Education Resources
Explore additional resources designed to support informed conversations and community education efforts across New York State. Browse educational tools, access information, and learn more about opportunities to support future cannabis education efforts. Interested in partnering with OCM or learning more? Contact [email protected].