7greeneyes
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http://time.com/3891500/washington-marijuana-retail-sting-operations/
Four of 22 stores tested for compliance were caught selling weed to underage shoppers in state-run stings
Washingtons retail marijuana businesses got calls from the state liquor control board before the sting operations began, warning them and reminding them about best practices when it comes to keeping weed out of kids hands. But when the board sent 18- to 20-year-old operatives into the first batch of stores this month to see if shops would sell them weed, four of them still failed the test. According to the boards report released Wednesday, that amounted to 18% of 22 operations.
Were always going to have the goal of 100% compliance, thats what we want; [82%] is good, but its not great, says State Senator Ann Rivers, who has continued to work on reforming the states retail and medical marijuana industries. Many of these businesses have invested a lot of time and a lot of money. And its stunning to me that theyd be willing to risk their livelihood to do something so foolish.
By the end of June, the state plans to conduct sting operations at each of the 138 retail marijuana shops reporting sales in Washington. When the news is out, the liquor control boards Brian Smith says of these first numbers, well see a spike in compliance. Thats what happened on the alcohol side. In the operations, the underage shoppers present their real IDs if asked but dont offer an ID if they arent; if a store sells them marijuana, they complete the transaction and bring the contraband to officers waiting outside the shops.
Marijuana businesses in Washington that sell to minors face possible license suspensions and fines of up to $2,500. Businesses that fail three times in three years can lose their state-issued licenses, while the person who conducts the actual transaction faces a possible felony charge.
Reformers who wanted to legalize marijuana in Washington and Coloradoand who continue to pursue reform in other statesoften argue that weed should be legal because its safer than alcohol. Regulations for alcohol, such as selling it only to adults ages 21 and older, have been used as scaffolding for nascent marijuana markets. Smith points out that similar sting operations conducted among liquor sellers in Washington always find slip-ups. Since 2012, monthly checks have found that an average of 85% of businesses, ranging from liquor shops to restaurants, dont sell to minors.
In 2014, Colorado conducted similar stings among a sample of 20 retail marijuana shops in the state and found 100% compliance, but the vast majority of the states more than 250 shops were not tested. Since 2014, checks among liquor sellers in Colorado have found that an average of about 90% of businesses dont sell alcohol to minors.
Smith chalks some failures up to human error, though drivers licenses for residents under age 21 are vertical rather than horizontal in the state. Many shops, he says, have someone stationed at the door and people working the register sometimes mistakenly assume that all shoppers IDs have been checked before they show up at the counter. Its early. This is a brand new industry that is finding its way, Smith says. Theres going to be some kinks initially.
Because this market is new, some business people dont have all of their systems in place as much as we might like them to, so Im going to cut them just the slightest bit of slack, Rivers says. But she also emphasizes that part of the expectation of the people of this state was that [a legal marijuana market] would be well taxed and very well regulated to keep it out of the hands of kids.
While shes neither thrilled nor deeply disappointed in these first results, Rivers says that attention shouldnt just be focused on what happens in the stores: The larger concern for me is people who are purchasing it legally because theyre the right age but then giving it to the underage people.
A failure to follow the rules gives ammunition to those who did not want to legalize marijuana or who would like to see existing markets fold. But reform advocates point out that there is, at least, some oversight now occurring. Its always disappointing when there are isolated incidents of non-compliance, but its also a powerful example of how a legal, regulated market leads to more accountability and responsibility, says Taylor West, spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Because you can certainly bet no ones checking IDs in the criminal market, and a regulatory process incentivizes legal businesses to play by the rules.
Washington State Marijuana Shops Caught Selling to Minors
Four of 22 stores tested for compliance were caught selling weed to underage shoppers in state-run stings
Washingtons retail marijuana businesses got calls from the state liquor control board before the sting operations began, warning them and reminding them about best practices when it comes to keeping weed out of kids hands. But when the board sent 18- to 20-year-old operatives into the first batch of stores this month to see if shops would sell them weed, four of them still failed the test. According to the boards report released Wednesday, that amounted to 18% of 22 operations.
Were always going to have the goal of 100% compliance, thats what we want; [82%] is good, but its not great, says State Senator Ann Rivers, who has continued to work on reforming the states retail and medical marijuana industries. Many of these businesses have invested a lot of time and a lot of money. And its stunning to me that theyd be willing to risk their livelihood to do something so foolish.
By the end of June, the state plans to conduct sting operations at each of the 138 retail marijuana shops reporting sales in Washington. When the news is out, the liquor control boards Brian Smith says of these first numbers, well see a spike in compliance. Thats what happened on the alcohol side. In the operations, the underage shoppers present their real IDs if asked but dont offer an ID if they arent; if a store sells them marijuana, they complete the transaction and bring the contraband to officers waiting outside the shops.
Marijuana businesses in Washington that sell to minors face possible license suspensions and fines of up to $2,500. Businesses that fail three times in three years can lose their state-issued licenses, while the person who conducts the actual transaction faces a possible felony charge.
Reformers who wanted to legalize marijuana in Washington and Coloradoand who continue to pursue reform in other statesoften argue that weed should be legal because its safer than alcohol. Regulations for alcohol, such as selling it only to adults ages 21 and older, have been used as scaffolding for nascent marijuana markets. Smith points out that similar sting operations conducted among liquor sellers in Washington always find slip-ups. Since 2012, monthly checks have found that an average of 85% of businesses, ranging from liquor shops to restaurants, dont sell to minors.
In 2014, Colorado conducted similar stings among a sample of 20 retail marijuana shops in the state and found 100% compliance, but the vast majority of the states more than 250 shops were not tested. Since 2014, checks among liquor sellers in Colorado have found that an average of about 90% of businesses dont sell alcohol to minors.
Smith chalks some failures up to human error, though drivers licenses for residents under age 21 are vertical rather than horizontal in the state. Many shops, he says, have someone stationed at the door and people working the register sometimes mistakenly assume that all shoppers IDs have been checked before they show up at the counter. Its early. This is a brand new industry that is finding its way, Smith says. Theres going to be some kinks initially.
Because this market is new, some business people dont have all of their systems in place as much as we might like them to, so Im going to cut them just the slightest bit of slack, Rivers says. But she also emphasizes that part of the expectation of the people of this state was that [a legal marijuana market] would be well taxed and very well regulated to keep it out of the hands of kids.
While shes neither thrilled nor deeply disappointed in these first results, Rivers says that attention shouldnt just be focused on what happens in the stores: The larger concern for me is people who are purchasing it legally because theyre the right age but then giving it to the underage people.
A failure to follow the rules gives ammunition to those who did not want to legalize marijuana or who would like to see existing markets fold. But reform advocates point out that there is, at least, some oversight now occurring. Its always disappointing when there are isolated incidents of non-compliance, but its also a powerful example of how a legal, regulated market leads to more accountability and responsibility, says Taylor West, spokesperson for the National Cannabis Industry Association. Because you can certainly bet no ones checking IDs in the criminal market, and a regulatory process incentivizes legal businesses to play by the rules.