Licensed California cannabis shops verified age 100% of the time in compliance checks
Pseudo-underage patrons were required to show age identification at all 50 licensed recreational cannabis outlets visited in California, suggesting licensed retailers are effectively preventing underage sales.
Quick Facts
What This Study Found
100% of the 50 randomly selected licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California required pseudo-underage patrons to show valid age identification before entry. No outlet allowed entry without ID verification.
Key Numbers
50 randomly selected licensed outlets. 100% compliance rate with age verification. Study conducted in California, which legalized recreational cannabis in 2016.
How They Did This
Compliance check study sending pseudo-underage patrons to 50 randomly selected licensed recreational cannabis outlets across California to test whether they could enter without showing valid age identification.
Why This Research Matters
A key concern about cannabis legalization is underage access. This study provides evidence that licensed retailers have strong incentives to comply with age verification requirements.
The Bigger Picture
While licensed outlets showed perfect compliance, the study raises the question of whether underage youth may instead access cannabis through illicit dispensaries, social sources, or fake IDs.
What This Study Doesn't Tell Us
Tested entry, not actual purchase. Only licensed outlets were tested. Pseudo-underage patrons looked young but were of legal age. Does not capture fake ID attempts or illicit sources.
Questions This Raises
- ?How effective are licensed outlets at detecting fake IDs?
- ?What proportion of underage cannabis access comes from social sources versus retail outlets?
Trust & Context
- Key Stat:
- 100% of licensed outlets verified age before entry
- Evidence Grade:
- Well-designed compliance check with random selection, but limited to entry (not purchase) and licensed outlets only.
- Study Age:
- Published in 2022.
- Original Title:
- What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal?
- Published In:
- Journal of safety research, 82, 102-111 (2022)
- Authors:
- Fell, James C(2), Toomey, Traci, Eichelberger, Angela H(2), Kubelka, Julie, Schriemer, Daniel, Erickson, Darin
- Database ID:
- RTHC-03835
Evidence Hierarchy
A snapshot of a population at one point in time.
What do these levels mean? →Frequently Asked Questions
Can underage youth buy cannabis at legal shops?
This study found that all 50 randomly selected licensed cannabis outlets in California required age identification before even allowing entry, suggesting licensed retailers take age verification seriously.
Where might underage youth get cannabis instead?
The study suggests future research should investigate fake ID use at licensed outlets, purchases from illicit dispensaries, and cannabis obtained through social sources like friends or family.
Read More on RethinkTHC
Cite This Study
https://rethinkthc.com/research/RTHC-03835APA
Fell, James C; Toomey, Traci; Eichelberger, Angela H; Kubelka, Julie; Schriemer, Daniel; Erickson, Darin. (2022). What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal?. Journal of safety research, 82, 102-111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.05.002
MLA
Fell, James C, et al. "What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain marijuana from licensed recreational marijuana outlets in California, a state where recreational marijuana is legal?." Journal of safety research, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsr.2022.05.002
RethinkTHC
RethinkTHC Research Database. "What is the likelihood that underage youth can obtain mariju..." RTHC-03835. Retrieved from https://rethinkthc.com/research/fell-2022-what-is-the-likelihood
Access the Original Study
Study data sourced from PubMed, a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.
This study breakdown was produced by the RethinkTHC research team. We analyze and report published research findings without making health recommendations. All interpretations are based solely on the published abstract and study data.