Colorado: Pot Shops Not Selling To Kids

[bobandtorey]

DENVER - State regulators and local police in Colorado found no pot shops breaking the law in a series of sting operations launched after legal recreational marijuana sales began in 2014.

READ: Colorado's marijuana enforcement division announces successful underage compliance checks: http://bit.ly/1lSlgTV

Mirroring alcohol laws, it is illegal in Colorado to sell recreational marijuana to people under 21 years of age.

Medical marijuana may be purchased by shoppers over 18 years old if they are carrying a valid medical marijuana card.

Sting operations targeted 20 marijuana stores in Denver and Pueblo in recent months - a fraction of the hundreds of businesses now licensed to sell the newly-legal drug.

The sting operations involve sending underage shoppers into stores to attempt to purchase marijuana, while being supervised by police officers.

Shops who break the law and sell to underage customers face hefty fines and can have their licenses suspended, restricted or revoked.

Despite the limited scope of the sting operations in the fast-expanding marijuana industry, the announcement provides a welcome image boost to pot shops.

"We are pleased with the results and will continue to monitor the businesses to ensure that the compliance efforts are maintained," Lewis Koski, Director of the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, said.

Earlier this year, an underage college student jumped to his death from a hotel window in Denver after consuming a marijuana-infused cookie while visiting Colorado with friends.