Trust is the foundation of everything we do at TryCannabis.org. Because we publish health-related information that people may use to inform real decisions about their wellbeing, we hold ourselves to rigorous editorial standards. This page explains exactly how our content is created, reviewed, and maintained.
How Content Is Researched
Every piece of content on TryCannabis.org begins with research. Our process prioritizes sources in the following order:
- Peer-reviewed studies and systematic reviews — Published in recognized medical and scientific journals (JAMA, The Lancet, Annals of Internal Medicine, etc.). These are our primary sources and carry the most weight in our content.
- Government and institutional reports — From agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the FDA, the World Health Organization (WHO), and academic medical centers (Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins, Harvard Health, Cleveland Clinic).
- Clinical guidelines and position statements — From professional medical organizations that have formally evaluated the evidence for cannabis in specific clinical contexts.
- Observational studies and patient surveys — These provide valuable real-world data but are clearly labeled as lower-quality evidence compared to randomized controlled trials.
- Expert commentary and analysis — From qualified researchers and clinicians with relevant expertise, used to provide context rather than as standalone evidence.
We do not treat anecdotal reports, social media posts, or manufacturer marketing materials as evidence. When we reference patient experiences, they are clearly identified as anecdotal and are never presented as proof of efficacy.
Source Citation Requirements
Our citation standards are straightforward:
- Every factual claim must have a source. If we state that a study found a particular result, we link directly to that study or its PubMed listing.
- Sources must be accessible. Wherever possible, we link to open-access versions of papers so readers can verify our claims without hitting paywalls.
- Evidence quality is labeled. We use evidence badges throughout our content to clearly indicate whether the supporting research is strong, moderate, limited, mixed, or insufficient. Readers should never have to guess how confident they should be in a particular claim.
- Negative and null findings are included. We do not cherry-pick studies that support cannabis use. When research finds no benefit, or finds risks, that research is cited alongside positive findings.
- Publication dates are noted. Cannabis research is evolving rapidly. We include publication years so readers can assess how current a finding is.
Content Review Process
Content on TryCannabis.org goes through a multi-step review before publication:
| Stage | What Happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Research & Drafting | A content author researches the topic using the source hierarchy above and produces a draft with inline citations for every factual claim. |
| 2. Fact-Check | Each citation is independently verified. Links are checked. Claims are compared against the actual text of referenced studies to ensure accuracy and context. |
| 3. Balance Review | The draft is reviewed for balance. Does it present both benefits and risks? Does it acknowledge evidence limitations? Could a reader walk away with a misleading impression even if every individual fact is correct? |
| 4. Advisory Review | For clinical and condition-specific content, a member of our advisory board with relevant expertise reviews the content for medical accuracy. |
| 5. Readability Check | Content is reviewed for plain-language accessibility. We aim for an 8th-grade reading level on core educational content so that it is accessible to the widest possible audience. |
| 6. Publication | Content is published with a visible "last reviewed" date so readers can see how current it is. |
Update Frequency
Cannabis research moves quickly. New studies are published regularly that can change our understanding of efficacy, risks, and best practices. To keep our content current:
- Quarterly content audits. Every page on the site is reviewed at least once every three months. During these audits, we check whether new research has been published that affects the accuracy of existing content.
- Breaking research updates. When a major study is published that significantly changes the evidence landscape for a topic we cover, we update the relevant pages as quickly as possible, regardless of the quarterly schedule.
- Legal updates. State cannabis laws change frequently. Our legal information pages are monitored for changes and updated as legislation takes effect.
How Outdated Content Is Flagged
If a page has not been reviewed within its scheduled audit window, or if we become aware of new research that may affect its accuracy before we have had time to fully update it, we add a visible notice to the top of the page indicating that the content is under review. This notice includes:
- The date the content was last reviewed
- A brief explanation of why a review is in progress (e.g., "New research published in [journal] may affect the findings discussed on this page")
- A recommendation that readers check referenced sources directly for the most current information
We believe it is better to flag potentially outdated content than to leave readers unaware that newer information exists.
Corrections Policy
We are human. Despite our review process, errors can occur. When they do, we handle them as follows:
- Minor corrections (typos, broken links, formatting issues) are fixed promptly without a formal notice.
- Factual corrections (a misquoted statistic, an incorrectly attributed finding, a claim that overstates or understates the evidence) receive a visible correction notice at the top of the affected page explaining what was changed and when.
- Significant corrections (errors that could have meaningfully affected a reader's understanding of a health topic) receive both an on-page correction notice and a note in our corrections log, which is publicly accessible.
We do not silently edit published content to cover mistakes. Transparency about corrections is essential to maintaining trust.
How to Report an Error
If you believe any content on TryCannabis.org contains a factual error, please let us know. We take correction reports seriously and will investigate every submission. You can submit corrections through our Contact page.