According to the Colorado legislature, the sale of weed to minors is not regulated

In the state of Colorado, marijuana regulators often send underage employees to dispensaries to check whether or not identification is required to ensure that anyone under the age of 21 cannot purchase cannabis.

The number of staff sent to pharmacies has slowly declined over the years, with this year marking the lowest number in three years. And that’s disturbing news for some.

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Photo by Lealnard Riengkaew/EyeEm/Getty Images

The Denver Post reports that 600 underage agents were dispatched in 2019, compared to 118 the following year when its numbers dropped significantly due to the pandemic. In 2021, the number dropped to 80, and only 52 checks were carried out that year, which some lawmakers find alarming.

Speaking to heads of the Marijuana Enforcement Division at a state Senate Committee hearing late last month, Senator Sonya Jaquez Lewis said, “You’ve got a big ol’ limelight on you now. You’ve got the whole Senate in view now.”

According to the department’s website, it’s tasked with “licensing and regulating the medical and retail marijuana industries in Colorado” to make sure the laws are being followed and things are running smoothly. They believe this drop in underage agents isn’t worrying because they have other ways to measure how often pharmacies ask for ID.

For example, child safety can be ensured by verifying that pharmacies have the necessary ID verification tools, functioning surveillance cameras, and regular checks of pharmacy footage.

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Earlier in the month, Colorado lawmakers attempted to introduce a bill that would have increased oversight of pharmacies. Senate Bill 149 planned to limit black market cannabis use, underage sales, and recalls of contaminated products, but was defeated because it added more restrictions to Colorado’s cannabis industry, which already has many restrictions.