A recent study investigating online marijuana sales in multiple states reveals that many online dispensaries have lenient age verification procedures, making it easier for minors to purchase marijuana. The research emphasizes the need for stricter age-verification protocols to prevent underage access to cannabis products. Comparable to a convenience store that doesn’t properly check IDs before selling age-restricted items, these online dispensaries are inadvertently enabling minors to obtain marijuana. This issue underscores potential flaws in the regulation and oversight of online drug sales. Given the potential negative impacts of marijuana use on developing brains, it is crucial that measures are put in place to prevent adolescents from accessing cannabis through these online platforms. To better protect minors, lawmakers and regulators should collaborate with online dispensaries to implement robust age-verification systems. Further research in this area could explore the effectiveness of different verification methods and their impact on reducing underage access to marijuana.
