Study: California cannabis sellers comply «100 %» with underage access ban

According to a new study, California cannabis retailers are doing a very good job of keeping minors from entering their stores and buying cannabis.

The researchers wanted to test the cannabis industry's compliance with ID requirements. So they sent people who appeared to be underage into 50 randomly selected cannabis stores across the state to see if they could enter without showing ID.

All retailers required ID.

The authors of the study, published this month in the Journal of Safety Research, wrote: «Somewhat surprisingly, the identification policy aimed at preventing minors from purchasing cannabis directly from licensed outlets was adhered to at 100 %. However, this is consistent with what was observed in two other states, Washington and Colorado.».

If the consistency of compliance surprised the authors, the reason is probably not surprising: retailers face serious penalties if they break the law, and there is usually an entry area inside dispensaries where ID is required upfront before a person can enter the main part of the store.

«It appears that legal adult-use cannabis outlets in California are avoiding selling cannabis to minors. One reason could be a strong incentive for owners and managers of recreational cannabis outlets to avoid being shut down for illegal activity.»

In California, where cannabis legalized in 2016, Under the new law, anyone supplying cannabis to a minor faces up to six months' imprisonment and a fine of up to $500 for a first offence. Police officers are authorized to use minors as decoys to verify compliance, and failure to comply with identification requirements can result in loss of license and additional penalties.

«It appears that licensed recreational cannabis outlets in California verify the age of young customers. As a result, it is unlikely that young people will purchase cannabis directly from these outlets,» states the new study. «They are more likely to use other sources, such as asking an adult to buy it for them, getting it from older friends or siblings, and consuming it at parties where cannabis use can be shared.»

The authors also stated that, while these findings represent an important part of a growing body of literature on cannabis policy compliance, they added that future studies and law enforcement agencies «should examine whether underage customers are attempting to use fake IDs at licensed cannabis outlets and whether young people are obtaining cannabis from illicit dispensaries or social sources.»