Oregon is getting much stricter on its age restrictions for legal weed. In particular, state authorities have made the penalties for selling to minors much heavier—and dispensaries seem to be responding. With Oregon dispensaries cracking down on minors trying to buy weed, state authorities are optimistic that shops are adhering more closely to the state’s age regulations.
Weed Shops Pass the Test
Every so often, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC)— the agency that oversees the state’s legal cannabis industry—conducts random tests. During these tests, they send minors into dispensaries. The underaged decoys then use their actual IDs to try and make a purchase. If a shop fails the test by selling weed to a minor, it is subject to fines and other penalties.
Earlier this year, authorities in Oregon became worried when a number of dispensaries failed the test and sold cannabis to underage consumers.
Shortly following these incidents, the OLCC ramped up the penalties for selling to minors. In fact, the agency tripled the penalties. Now, if a dispensary sells cannabis to anyone younger than 21, it could be suspended from operations for 30 days or receive a fine of up to $4,950. These penalties go up for multiple offenses.
“This is a wake-up call to our licensed retailers,” Steve Marks, Executive Director of the OLCC, said about the new penalties. “Oregonians have entrusted you with a responsibility that includes not selling marijuana to minors.”
After making these changes, the OLCC recently did another round of field tests in which minors tried to buy weed. This time, the results were very different. According to Forbes, the OLCC targeted marijuana dispensaries in Portland, Bend, and Salem. Not a single shop sold to a minor.
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