Buller David B, Woodall W Gill, Saltz Robert, Grayson Andrew, Svendsen Sierra, Cutter Gary R
Klein Buendel, Inc., 1667 Cole Boulevard, Suite 225, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
Klein Buendel, Inc., 1667 Cole Boulevard, Suite 225, Golden, CO 80401, USA.
Int J Drug Policy. 2020 Sep;83:102860. doi: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2020.102860. Epub 2020 Jul 21.
In some U.S. states, laws prohibit sales of recreational marijuana to intoxicated customers to prevent associated harms. In alcohol markets, training in responsible sales practices is one intervention to help reduce such sales to intoxicated customers. Similar training may be beneficial in the recreational cannabis market.
An online responsible marijuana vendor (RMV) training was developed. Among its five modules, learning elements taught store personnel to recognize signs of alcohol impairment and intoxication, refuse sales, and understand the risks of driving under the influence of cannabis. A sample of n = 150 recreational cannabis stores in Colorado, Oregon, and Washington State, USA were enrolled in a randomized controlled trial, half of which were randomly assigned to use the RMV training. Stores were posttested using a pseudo-customer protocol in which confederate buyers feigned obvious signs of alcohol intoxication.
Deterrence of sales to intoxicated customers does not seem to exist, regardless of whether the states' laws prohibit it. Only 16 of 146 stores (11.0%; 4 Oregon stores were eliminated that were not in business) refused sales. There was no difference in refusal rates between intervention (11.6% [3.9%]) and control stores (7.6% [3.1%], F = 0.71, p = 0.401 [1-tailed]) or between stores that used the RMV training (6.3% [4.0%]) or not (12.0% [5.7%], F = 0.91, p = 0.343 [2-tailed]). In 11 visits, store personnel commented on the buyers' behavior, or expressed concern/suspicion about buyers, but sold to them anyway.
Training in responsible sales practices alone did not appear to reduce sales to apparently alcohol-intoxicated customers. Legal deterrence from making these sales may be insufficient or nonexistent for store management to support adherence to this responsible sales practice. Regulatory and policy actions may be needed to increase perceived risk with such sales (i.e., clear policy and swift, severe, and certain penalties) to achieve training's benefits.
在美国的一些州，法律禁止向醉酒顾客销售娱乐用大麻以预防相关危害。在酒精销售市场，开展负责任销售行为培训是一种有助于减少向醉酒顾客销售酒精的干预措施。类似的培训在娱乐用大麻市场可能也有益处。
开发了一种在线的负责任大麻销售商（RMV）培训。在其五个模块中，学习内容教导店铺员工识别酒精影响和醉酒的迹象、拒绝销售，并了解在大麻影响下驾驶的风险。在美国科罗拉多州、俄勒冈州和华盛顿州抽取了n = 150家娱乐用大麻商店参与一项随机对照试验，其中一半被随机分配使用RMV培训。通过一种伪顾客协议对商店进行后测，在该协议中，协同买家假装出明显的酒精中毒迹象。
无论各州法律是否禁止，似乎都不存在对向醉酒顾客销售行为的威慑作用。146家商店中只有16家（11.0%；4家不在营业的俄勒冈州商店被排除）拒绝销售。干预组商店（11.6% [3.9%]）和对照组商店（7.6% [3.1%]）之间的拒绝率没有差异（F = 0.71，p = 0.401 [单尾]），使用RMV培训的商店（6.3% [4.0%]）和未使用的商店（12.0% [5.7%]）之间也没有差异（F = 0.91，p = 0.343 [双尾]）。在11次探访中，店铺员工对买家的行为发表了评论，或表达了对买家的关注/怀疑，但无论如何还是卖给了他们。
仅开展负责任销售行为培训似乎并未减少向明显酒精中毒顾客的销售。对于店铺管理而言，进行此类销售的法律威慑可能不足或不存在，无法支持其坚持这种负责任的销售行为。可能需要监管和政策行动来增加此类销售的感知风险（即明确的政策以及迅速、严厉且确定的处罚），以实现培训的效益。
