Twenty Out of 20 Oregon Cannabis Retail Outlets Pass Sting Operation

The Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) sent out underage decoys on December 19 to 20 cannabis retail outlets in central Oregon, and all 20 stores appropriately refused service. It’s the first round of the OLCC’s statewide minor decoy operation.

“That our licensed retailers in central Oregon scored 100 percent on refusal to sell marijuana to a minor is a sign that this segment of our regulated industry understands the importance of compliance,” Steve Marks, Executive Director of the OLCC stated in a press release. “As we continue these checks I hope that these results will be reflected across the state.”

The retail outlets were all publicly listed. DiamondTREE (two locations), Cannacopia, Dr. Jolly’s, Tokyo Starfish, Oregon Euphorics, Miracle Greens, Plantae, Cannabend, Creative Crops Rec, Oregrown, Top Shelf Medicine, Substance (two locations), 5th LNMT, Tokyo South, Higher Elevation, The Herb Center, High Desert Botanicals and Green Knottz all passed the sting operation.

Obviously, the sale of cannabis to minors is prohibited in all states that allow recreational cannabis including Oregon. If a retail outlet is caught selling cannabis to a minor, the punishment is a 10-30-day suspension or a fine of $1650 for the first violation. The punishment depends upon whether the transaction was intentional.

Failure to check a patron for proper identification could result in a seven day license suspension or a fine of at least $1100. In Oregon, identifying a minor is easy, because adult ID’s have a red border line around the photo, as well as the date when they turn 21.

The minors that are sent out are closely monitored by commission inspectors. The OLCC, in the same press release, reminded all licensed cannabis businesses that they can expect one random minor decoy visit per year. The OLCC also offers training for businesses that have trouble checking patrons for identification.