The impact of sexual scripts in brand‐generated cannabis social media posts on sex‐related cannabis expectancies: Does body appreciation moderate effects?

Introduction Cannabis messaging on digital media may include sexualised portrayals. We examined whether exposure to and perceptions of cannabis posts that included sexual objectification impacted two types of sex‐related cannabis expectancies—sexual risk and sexual enhancement—and whether body appreciation moderated these relationships. Methods We conducted an online experiment with college students in Washington state. Participants viewed three brand‐generated cannabis Instagram posts that either included sexually objectified women or recreational appeals (e.g., sitting by a firepit). We conducted regressions, using the PROCESS macro, to examine the hypothesized model and potential mediation and moderation. Results Exposure to sexualised advertisements was associated with increased perceptions of cannabis sex enhancement scripts (b = 0.34, p