Licensed cannabis retailers in Oregon are in strict compliance with the state’s minimum age requirements and nearly always deny access to underage patrons, according to data provided by the state Liquor and Cannabis Commission.
Year-to-date compliance check data finds that underage patrons posing as adults were denied access to licensed marijuana establishments nearly 100 percent of the time. By comparison, decoys gained access to alcohol products approximately 80 percent of the time.
The results are consistent with compliance check data from other states – including California, Colorado, Washington, and elsewhere – finding that licensed cannabis retailers are typically more compliant than alcohol retailers at enforcing minimum age restrictions.
Commenting on the findings, NORML’s Deputy Director Paul Armentano said: “Regulation works. States’ real-world experience with adult-use marijuana legalization affirms that it is being implemented in a way that provides regulated access for adults while effectively hindering youth access and misuse.”
This brief was reposted from NORML. The Minor Decoy Operations data for 2026 is available from the Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Additional information is available from the NORML Fact Sheet, ‘Societal Impacts of Cannabis Dispensaries/Retailers.’
