We are a research laboratory based at the University of California, San Diego that studies how regulated and emerging consumer products are marketed, sold, discussed, and used in digital environments. We generate timely, policy-relevant evidence by auditing online and app-based retail markets, conducting survey research, and analyzing social media and online communities to understand who is using new and rapidly evolving products, why they are using them, and how perceived benefits and potential adverse events are reported in real-world settings. Using digital surveillance, controlled purchase attempts, and computational and qualitative methods, we examine products such as tobacco and nicotine, cannabis and hemp-derived products, alcohol, pharmaceuticals, harm-reduction supplies, microdosing practices, and other emerging consumer goods to support evidence-based public health, policy, and enforcement responses.
