Oregon Officials Triple Penalty for Marijuana Stores Selling to Minors
Oregon officials have announced that, at least temporarily, they’re tripling the penalty associated with businesses unintentionally selling marijuana or marijuana products to minors.
The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which oversees the state’s legal marijuana industry, made the announcement yesterday. The change follows a statewide sting operation which found that almost 20% (1 in 5) of state-licensed marijuana outlets sold cannabis to a customer under the legal age of 21.
“There’s no margin for error on making sure that marijuana doesn’t get in the hands of minors – period,” said commission Chair Paul Rosenbaum in a statement. “The integrity of Oregon’s regulated system depends on industry compliance across the board.”
According to Rosenbaum, the first-time penalty for unintentionally selling to a minor has been tripled, from a 10-day license suspension and a $1,650 fine, to a 30-day suspension and a $4,950 fine.
The new penalties go into effect today, and remain valid for at least six months.