We bought all these illegal products in the FDA’s backyard

Secret shoppers went to NY’s unlicensed dispensaries Unlicensed dispensaries and smoke shops are significantly less likely than licensed retailers to require age verification before somebody enters a store or makes a purchase, according to a secret shopper study published today in Pediatrics. Shoppers went to 37 dispensaries and smoke shops in New York City, also finding that unlicensed stores more often sold products that appeal to young people like energy drinks, soda, and candy. Part of the point of legalizing weed is to reduce risk through regulation, the authors write. But in New York, unlicensed retailers outnumber the licensed, regulated ones. In a First Opinion essay last year, three researchers and advocates wrote that, “implementing strong and comprehensive protections for children is not the norm in many states that have legalized recreational marijuana use.” And because we’re talking about how easy it can be to get illegal drugs, I must once again remind you of this iconic STAT video. https://www.statnews.com/2024/06/05/as-states-legalize-recreational-marijuana-use-for-adults-they-must-prioritize-protecting-kids/?utm_campaign=morning_rounds&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-9OW7sqi944emy25T5XDaZg34UGnCzNby6J-3xqPV3UqaurcpspED5LHktYPNBUKzcFqpwVTMnn-XxdxaeXLcDNNGSnjw&_hsmi=348565801&utm_content=348565801&utm_source=hs_email Cannabis Access by Retailer Type in New York https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article-abstract/155/3/e2024068669/201048/Cannabis-Access-by-Retailer-Type-in-New-York?redirectedFrom=fulltext