Pharmacies in California don’t sell to minors, but edibles remain a threat — here’s why

Through Jelena Martinovic

Overall marijuana use among young people in the United States has declined in recent years, according to a federally funded study last year.

Specifically, the data showed a 38% year-over-year decrease in self-reported marijuana use among eighth graders, a 38% decrease among 10th graders, and a 13% decrease among 12th graders. Despite this hard evidence, the misconception that dispensaries sell marijuana to minors still persists.

Photo by Roberto Machado Noa via Getty

A new study sheds more light into the darkness

California pharmacy workers are making an unwavering decision to validate ID as required by law, according to a new study.

The study, published earlier this month in the Journal of Safety Research, found that 50 randomly selected retail cannabis locations across the Golden State were visited by undercover customers who looked underage and asked if they could get cannabis without first showing ID.

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Interestingly, all stores passed the test.

“It appears that licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries in California screen young customers for age identification,” the researchers said. “As such, youth are unlikely to buy marijuana directly from these outlets. They are more likely to use other sources, e.g. B. asking an adult to buy it for them, obtaining it from older friends or siblings, and using it at parties where marijuana use could be shared. These sources will be difficult to monitor and control.”

More caution is required with edibles

As more states legalize recreational marijuana, the number of children accidentally consuming edible cannabis products has increased.

Resurgence Behavioral Health, an addiction treatment center in Costa Mesa, California, recently urged parents to take note of this alarming situation and to take extra care if they have edibles in their homes.

RELATED: How Long Do Marijuana Edibles Stay in Your System?

Last year, the American Association of Poison Control Centers received nearly 2,500 calls about children under 12 who accidentally used marijuana edibles at home in 2020, up from just over a hundred in 2016, the New York Times wrote. Fortunately, no resulting deaths were reported.

However, the side effects a child experiences after consuming an edible marijuana can range from drowsiness, restlessness, and confusion to increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, and even seizures.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.