By John Ingold
Marijuana is weighed and packaged at a Denver metro area marijuana shop on Jan. 1, 2014. (Craig F. Walker, The Denver Post file)
Police have so far sanctioned no recreational marijuana stores for selling to minors during underage compliance stings across the state, according to the Colorado Department of Revenue.
Authorities in Denver and Pueblo, working with regulators from the state Marijuana Enforcement Division, have conducted 20 undercover stings in which they see whether a store will sell pot to someone under 21. Sixteen of the compliance checks have occurred in Denver, home to most of the state’s recreational marijuana stores.
So far, no store has sold to someone under 21 in the checks.
“It is imperative that we keep marijuana out of the hands of kids,” Barbara Brohl, the executive director of the Department of Revenue, which includes the Marijuana Enforcement Division, said in a statement. “These results show that strong efforts are being made by the MED and the marijuana business licensees to do just that.”
While medical-marijuana stores can sell to registered patients under 21, recreational stores can only sell to those over 21 and must check identification. Stores that are found selling to someone underage could have their license suspended or revoked or face a fine up to $100,000.
“We are pleased with the results, and will continue to monitor the businesses to ensure that the compliance efforts are maintained,” MED director Lewis Koski said in a statement.
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John Ingold: 303-954-1068, [email protected] or twitter.com/johningold