Daily Use to Misuse: Off-Label Consumption and the Impact of Usage Frequency Labels on Potency Inferences

Consumers often engage in off-label product use by altering recommended dosages, methods, or purposes. Despite the prevalence of off-label consumption, the psychological processes underlying off-label use remain underexplored. The authors find that high frequency usage labeling (e.g., “for daily use” vs. “for monthly use”) increases likelihood of engaging in off-label use, recommending off-label use to others, and reduces support for restrictive product regulations because consumers infer higher frequency use products to be less potent. Six studies test these effects across product categories (e.g., cannabis, mushrooms, melatonin, Ashwagandha; Studies 1 and 2) and category familiarity (cannabis users and non-users; Study 3). Studies 4 and 5 examine potency inferences as the underlying process and demonstrate that displaying product potency information reduces the influence of usage frequency labeling on product inferences. Finally, Study 6 examines the role of therapeutic versus recreational purpose labeling in off-label use susceptibility and repurposing. Across these studies, we find that frequency and potency shape consumers’ perceptions of how likely the product is to be used for off-label use. This research expands the understanding of frequency labels as drivers of potency inferences and off-label consumption. Substantively, this research offers marketing implications of off-label consumption, with a focus on emerging product categories such as adaptogens and psychoactive substances.