Denver Police announced this week that seven cannabis stores in the city were cited for selling to minors as part of a wide-ranging sting operation, giving the city’s recreational marijuana industry a black eye.
As a result of the sting – which involved 30 shops – the overall compliance rate for the state’s marijuana industry fell to 91% vs. 100% previously, according to a local TV report. That’s about the same compliance rate as liquor stores.
A previous sting in 2014 found no violations, according to the report.
Though the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division didn’t indicate whether the shops would lose their business licenses as a result of the sting, that is a possible outcome. Denver Police said they have filed administrative cases with the city attorney’s office to further investigate the seven businesses, and the state is also taking a closer look at the shops.