The NumbersThe research examined the age-verification policies and other practices of 80 online dispensaries, based in 32 states, that sell marijuana to American customers.
Of the dispensaries studied, nearly one-third allowed delivery across state lines — and of those, 95 percent offered delivery to states with marijuana laws different from the home state of the online dispensary.
About one-third of high school seniors had used marijuana at least once in 2021, along with 20 percent of 10th graders and 8.3 percent of eighth graders.
What’s NextOnline marijuana sales, and the ease of shipping, would seem to make it easier for minors to access the drug, the study’s authors noted.
“It is imperative,” they wrote in their conclusion, “to require strict age-verification procedures prior to cannabis purchases online and to establish stringent surveillance of online marijuana dispensaries to protect youth.”In the interim, they added, “pediatricians and caregivers must be aware of the widespread availability of online dispensaries and potential dissemination of marijuana to minors.”
Persons:
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Organizations:
National Institutes of Health, ”