EVERETT — Two area marijuana shops are being cited for selling to underage buyers during a recent sting.
They are Purple Haze, 4218 Rucker Ave., and Green City Collective, 13601 Highway 99, which is south of city limits.
Both businesses face a 10-day suspension or a $2,500 fine, said Brian Smith, a spokesman for the state Washington State Liquor Control Board in Olympia, which oversees recreational marijuana businesses. The stores can appeal or request a hearing.
Other area shops were included in the sting but did not sell to underage buyers. Those found in compliance were Kushmart, Bud Hut, Herbal Nation, High Times, Euphorium Lynnwood, Local Roots Marijuana and High Society.
It was the state’s first sting at marijuana shops. The agency relied on undercover buyers who were at least 18 but also less than 21, the legal age to purchase marijuana, Smith said. The underage buyers were required to present true identification if asked by the clerk.
Similar stings are common for alcohol sellers, who also are prohibited from doing business with people under 21. Individual employees could face criminal sanctions for such sales.
Of the 22 marijuana businesses surveyed by the state, four sold to people under 21, Smith said. That’s a compliance rate of nearly 82 percent, not much lower than the average liquor sale compliance rate of 85 percent.
For comparison, grocery stores have a 92 percent compliance rate and the state liquor stores hovered around 95 percent before they were closed through privatization.
There are 156 licensed marijuana retailers in Washington, and of those 138 have reported sales, Smith said. All will be checked by June 30.
Notices were sent to owners, alerting them that a sting was coming. A spike in compliance is common after enforcement.
“We’d spent a long time educating the licensees about the importance of avoiding an illegal sale,” he said.
Businesses that fail a sting three times within three years can lose their license.
The two other shops that were cited recently are in Pierce County.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
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