Prevention Starts at the Point of Sale

Why Age Verification for THC Products Matters

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Prevention is most effective when it happens early and consistently. When it fails, the consequences rarely show up all at once. They show up later in emergency rooms, schools, counseling offices, and family systems.

Minnesota’s growing market for hemp-derived THC products presents a clear prevention challenge.

Although adult-use cannabis is not yet widely available outside of tribal dispensaries, hemp-derived THC products are already common in everyday retail spaces. Gummies, beverages, and supplements containing intoxicating levels of THC are sold in gas stations, convenience stores, grocery stores, and neighborhood shops across the state.

Minnesota law restricts the sale of these products to adults age 21 and older. From a prevention standpoint, that age limit exists to reduce youth exposure during critical stages of brain development and to limit early initiation that can increase the risk of problematic use later in life.

A recent study from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health’s Cannabis Research Center suggests that this protective barrier is not being reliably enforced.

What the Study Examined

Researchers evaluated retail compliance with age restrictions by conducting purchase attempts at more than 100 Minnesota stores that sell hemp-derived THC products. These locations included both age-restricted retailers, such as liquor stores and specialty THC shops, and non-age-restricted retailers, such as gas stations and convenience stores.

The buyers were legally over the age of 21 but were carefully selected because they appeared underage. They attempted to purchase THC products without showing identification unless it was requested by the retailer.

In many cases, identification was not requested at all.

What This Means for Prevention

From a prevention lens, the findings are concerning. Buyers who appeared underage were able to purchase intoxicating THC products more than half the time, regardless of the type of store.

This level of noncompliance significantly weakens primary prevention efforts. Age restrictions are intended to delay first use, reduce normalization among youth, and protect developing brains. When those restrictions are inconsistently enforced, prevention messaging loses credibility and effectiveness.

Hemp-derived THC products are often marketed in appealing forms such as candy-like gummies and flavored beverages. When these products are easily accessible in everyday retail settings without consistent age checks, the risk of youth exposure increases substantially.

Prevention does not rely on individual responsibility alone. It relies on systems that make healthy choices easier and risky choices harder.

The Role of Retailers in Prevention

Retailers play a critical role in substance use prevention, whether they see themselves that way or not. Consistent age verification is one of the most basic and effective prevention tools available.

This study highlights the need for:

• Clear and consistent retailer education

• Routine compliance checks

• Enforcement mechanisms that reinforce expectations

• Alignment between public health goals and retail practices

Other states with more tightly regulated cannabis systems have demonstrated that strong enforcement dramatically reduces underage access. Prevention works when it is supported by structure, training, and accountability.

A Prevention Opportunity

Minnesota is still early in its cannabis policy transition. That creates both risk and opportunity.

From a prevention perspective, now is the time to strengthen safeguards before patterns of easy access become normalized. Protecting youth does not require rolling back legalization or stigmatizing use. It requires ensuring that adult-only products remain adult-only in practice, not just in policy.

Prevention begins long before harm occurs. In this case, it begins at the point of sale.

Respectfully,

MPA Foundation

Source and Further Reading

This blog post is informed by research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health Cannabis Research Center.

Original article:

University of Minnesota School of Public Health

Study found retailers often failed to comply with age restrictions for selling THC products in Minnesota

https://www.sph.umn.edu/news/study-found-retailers-often-failed-to-comply-with-age-restrictions-for-selling-thc-products-in-minnesota/