Minors Are Buying Weed Online, Confirms New Study Published In JAMA Pediatrics

Can minors buy marijuana online?

Absolutely! At least according to a new study published Monday in the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics.

Is it legal? Absolutely not! So, how is this happening?

Research analyzing 80 online marijuana dispensaries across 32 states revealed that the majority don’t have proper age verification features. Many online cannabis dispensaries accept nontraceable payment methods, which is how minors are getting away with purchasing weed.

“We believe that there is danger in allowing minors to purchase marijuana online with few protective barriers in place,” Dr. Ruth L. Milanaik, a co-author of the study and developmental-behavioral pediatrician at the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York told The Washington Times.

The study pointed to the National Institute of Health’s 2022 Monitoring the Future survey, which revealed that some 6.3% of 12th graders, 2.1% of 10th graders, and 0.7% of 8th graders confirmed daily cannabis use. It also acknowledged that other previous studies revealed minors can buy alcohol, vapes, and cigarettes online, which led to them wanting to examine the effectiveness of age verification procedures and whether youth can easily purchase weed online. 

Study highlights

• Out of 22 online cannabis shops that have delivery options, 21 dispensaries delivered to states with differing cannabis laws than the dispensary’s home state. 
• Of 75 dispensaries offering edibles, 50 used colorful packaging that could attract youth; 
• 70% of analyzed online dispensaries ask users to confirm their legal age on the website, whereas only 3.8% asked for a specific birthdate. 
• Not one online dispensary required verified age documentation to enter the website. 
• Overall, 53 dispensaries (66.3%) required users to verify age when completing a purchase or on receipt of a marijuana product, and 15 (18.8%) did not require formal age verification during the purchasing process. Age verification methods included government-issued identification (40 dispensaries [50.0%]), a medical marijuana identification number (21 [26.3%]), and self-reported birthdate (8 [10.0%]).
• 67 of the 80 online marijuana dispensaries (83.8%) accepted nontraceable payment methods such as cash, prepaid cards and cryptocurrency.
• Only 34 (42.5%) offered warnings or disclaimers regarding the safety of purchasing or using marijuana products. 
• 54 dispensaries (67.5%) listed policies regarding sale of marijuana to minors. Of these, 13 (24.0%) did not ask users to verify their age to enter the website and 13 (24.0%) did not ask users to verify their age before purchasing or receiving the product.
• Photo: Courtesy of Sebastian Radu via Unsplash