Study shows not a single pharmacy in California has been caught selling to minors

The perennial myth that dispensaries sell weed to underage people refuses to die, but evidence shows that’s not the case in California. Instead, adult pharmacies in the state prove the system works by verifying IDs as required by law.

A new study debunks the theory that pharmacies make it easier for teenagers to get hold of cannabis. Researchers sent undercover customers who looked underage to 50 randomly selected dispensaries in California to see if they could get weed without first having to show ID, as required. All the pharmacies involved passed the test, which researchers say was “somewhat surprising”.

In California, people between the ages of 18 and 20 can purchase cannabis with a doctor’s recommendation, and any adult 21 or older can purchase cannabis.

The study, titled “What is the likelihood that underage youth will be able to obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal?” was published in the Journal of Safety Research and published on March 18 May put online.

“It appears that licensed recreational marijuana dispensaries in California screen young customers for age identification,” said the researchers involved in the study. “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.”

According to NORML, in California, “the sale or supply of any quantity of marijuana by anyone who does not have a state licensed permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to six months in prison and a $500 fine.”

The data supports previous studies that show Colorado and Washington also check customers’ IDs to make sure they’re old enough.

“It was somewhat surprising that the ID policy was 100% compliant to discourage minors from buying marijuana directly from licensed outlets,” the researchers continued. “However, that was consistent with what was observed in two other states, Washington and Colorado. One factor may be that underage youth may not be allowed into the outlets – this is not usually the case at state alcohol outlets.”

In 2020, according to recent data, cannabis use among adolescents has decreased – not increased. A recent survey conducted by The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) showed that teenage cannabis use has decreased by about 3% over the past year.

Another research study published in Substance Use and Addiction found similar results, noting that teenage cannabis use did not increase even after states legalized the plant. Several other studies came to similar conclusions and found no changes or decreases in cannabis use among teenagers or young people as states legalize cannabis.

The theory is that by regulating cannabis in dispensaries, fewer teenagers and young people would be able to get their hands on cannabis from a street vendor. This would be even more the case if legit pharmacies that collect taxes didn’t have to compete with cheaper prices off the street.

The argument that pharmacies somehow sell to children persists in a number of states.

Meanwhile, anti-cannabis campaigners in Princeton, New Jersey, have claimed that a proposed dispensary there would offer expanded access to cannabis for minors.