How to Set Up an Age Verification System for a Cannabis E-Commerce Website

By Karen Henriques June 17, 2025

Adding an age verification system is essential for any cannabis merchant website to remain in compliance with legal legislation. It also keeps minors away from forbidden content. A well-designed system ensures only authorized shoppers can enter your store, while the user experience remains smooth. Here’s how to do it.

Legal Age Restrictions

The law on marijuana is not the same across the board, and companies must know about these variations. In most U.S. states where recreational marijuana is legal, purchasers have to be 21 years or older. Medical marijuana typically has different limits, with patients sometimes being eligible at age 18 if they qualify on a medical basis. Since recreational and medical cannabis are regulated differently, the retailer has to keep a close eye on what they are selling and have the appropriate age verification protocols in place for each.

What Is Age Verification on a Website

Age confirmation on a website is a feature employed to regulate access to certain materials or products, especially those intended solely for adults. It usually manifests as a full-screen overlay or popup that appears upon someone’s first visit to the site. It requests users to verify they are of age—usually by entering their birthdate or merely by checking a box—before the site permits them to continue.

The reason for age verification is to prevent exposing minors to content that is legally prohibited or even inappropriate. This might be the alcohol, cigarettes, gambling, adult content, or even some video games and sales of supplements. With this block, companies not only safeguard underage buyers but also ensure that they are serious about compliance.

Regulation and legislation differ from country to country or even from region to region, and site owners are required to follow them. Age verification helps you demonstrate more easily compliance with these obligations. It is capable of establishing consumer and regulatory confidence by demonstrating that you care about providing a responsible user experience.

How Do Online Age Verification Systems Actually Work?

If your company sells age-restricted items—vapes, alcohol, or cannabis—you require more than a simple checkbox “Are you 21 or older?” Active age verification systems are far more advanced. Here’s what happens behind the scenes with advanced age verification systems:

1. ID Document Scanning

The best method of age verification is through examination of a government ID. Age verification technology will typically ask the customer to upload an image of their driver’s license, passport, or national ID. These systems employ OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to read and obtain the most important data—i.e., the date of birth. They will subsequently verify if the individual conforms to your goods or services’ minimum satisfactory age.

2. Double-Check with Secure Databases

To avoid spoofing or tampering of the ID, the system double-checks it from time to time with public or private databases. That could be voter registration records, credit agencies, or other secure databases. It’s a double-check that verifies the ID data—particularly the birthdate—is correct and that the person indeed exists.

3. Selfie Auth & Facial Match

For a stolen or borrowed ID’s uploader, most websites mandate users to post a live selfie. The program then compares the uploader’s face in the selfie to the picture on the ID. The procedure verifies that the document uploader is indeed the owner. Smart systems also comprise liveness detection, which can request users to blink, shake their head, or repeat a sentence to confirm they are not employing a static image or pre-recorded video.

4. Least Friction for Real-Time Results

The goal of these systems is to maintain everything fast and secure—checking age and identity within a few seconds. If authenticated, access is provided to barred age content or the ability to order. For frequent visitors, most systems permit a verified status to be stored or saved securely so that the next visit is trouble-free.

How to Add Age Verification System for Your Website

Top API Tools

Jumio Age Verification: Jumio is a well-known name in the identity verification space, trusted by businesses across finance, healthcare, and e-commerce. Their age verification platform brings together AI, face recognition, and ID verification to confirm that customers are of legal age. It’s easy: users scan their ID, pose for a selfie, and Jumio verifies both ID and age. This makes it much more difficult for minors to circumvent the restrictions. In addition to age verification, Jumio also provides constant authentication to ensure subsequent logins or purchases are being made by the same identified individual. Pricing is also adaptive and customized per business’s requirements.
Ondato Age Verification: Ondato specializes in ensuring identity and age verification is seamless, secure, and compliant with regulations worldwide. Their platform employs AI and automated verification to verify user information via documents and images, with facial authentication also provided to support age verification. Ondato’s platform is streamlined to be easy to use, which assists with drop-offs when onboarding. Through the combination of privacy, convenience, and compliance, it makes businesses feel secure while making customers contented. Ondato has varying prices based on whether you require KYC, KYB, or officer verification, with age verification included in its identity tools.
Trulioo Age Verification: Trulioo is among the biggest identity verification players globally, serving more than 195 countries via its GlobalGateway platform. Their age verification API is designed to provide quick, consistent results by verifying government-issued identification and date of birth in real time. With such wide global reach, it’s particularly valuable for companies that span many regions. Trulioo excels at scaling and serving companies that have compliance needs globally. As with others in this niche, pricing is tailored based on the business size and needs.

Extensions and Plugins

Marijuana Age Verify (WordPress / WooCommerce): Especially designed for cannabis, CBD, and dispensary websites, Marijuana Age Verify provides a lightning-fast, fullscreen popup gate that functions even popup blockers—no workarounds or scrolling necessary. You get to pick from age gates such as 21+ for recreational use or 18+ for medical use, and it’s easy to integrate with any WordPress theme. The interface itself is responsive, ADA compliant, and SEO optimized, and it’s fast to install with zero coding needed. The premium version introduces features such as targeting by page, branded customization, translations, “remember me” features for repeat visitors, and popup styling flexibility.
Token of Trust: Token of Trust adds AI-grade verification to your cannabis shop. Better than a basic gate, it adds ID document scanning to selfie matching and has rules applied for varying products or age limits—ideal for compliance-focused businesses.
BlueCheck – Age Verification: Developed as a plugin of WooCommerce, BlueCheck enables checks based on user identity information (such as name, address, or scanned ID), with secondary checks to increase confidence. You can set it up by region to be compliant with regional laws. The plugin comes in handy if you need additional steps beyond a gated message—i.e., checking a user prior to viewing or ordering restricted products.
Hulk Age Verification: One of the best-reviewed Shopify apps (4.8 stars), Hulk Age Verification adds on a fully branded age-gate popup with no coding required. It allows you to lockout by page or product, has geo-based rules (to meet various regional legal standards), and includes analytics to monitor verification quantities. Logo, text, background, and behavior can all be customized to match your brand. Advanced targeting, mobile responsiveness, and country-level gating are included in the Pro version.

Code-Based Age Verification System

If you have an e-commerce business selling marijuana and need complete control of age verification for your website, then the code-based method is a simple but hands-on solution. It allows you to design and develop the age gate into your site with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

This is much simpler if you already feel at ease with code. Or know someone who does. It allows you the freedom to get the popup to look and feel however you desire, in voice, color scheme, and functionality.

Just watch yourself: if you’re clueless when it comes to coding, this path can become daunting very quickly. Still, for store owners who like to keep things lean and customized, building your own age verification popup is a solid DIY option. Here’s a quick overview of how it works and what kind of code you’ll be working with.

1. The HTML Structure

The HTML Structure

First, you’ll need a simple HTML layout for the popup. This acts as the shell that holds the message and action buttons (like “Yes, I’m over 21”).

<p>Are you 21 years of age or older?</p>

</div>

This creates a basic modal window that appears when users land on your site, asking them to confirm their age before entering.

2. The CSS Styling

The CSS Styling

Next, you’ll need some CSS to style the popup so it looks polished and professional. This helps ensure the age gate blends in with your cannabis store’s branding.

#age-verification {

position: fixed;

top: 0; left: 0;

width: 100%; height: 100%;

background-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.85);

display: flex;

justify-content: center;

align-items: center;

z-index: 9999;

}

.verification-window {

background: #fff;

padding: 30px;

border-radius: 10px;

text-align: center;

font-family: ‘Helvetica’, sans-serif;

}

You can of course tweak fonts, colors, and layout as needed to better suit your shop’s style.

3. The JavaScript Logic

The JavaScript Logic

Finally, add a bit of JavaScript to make everything functional. This script determines what happens when a user clicks “Yes” or “No.”

function verifyAge(isOfAge) {

if (isOfAge) {

document.getElementById(‘age-verification’).style.display = ‘none’;

localStorage.setItem(‘ageVerified’, ‘true’);

} else { alert(“Sorry, you must be 21 or older to enter this site.”);

window.location.href = “https://www.google.com”; // Redirect elsewhere

}

// Auto-hide popup if age was previously verified

window.onload = function() {

if (localStorage.getItem(‘ageVerified’) === ‘true’) { document.getElementById(‘age-verification’).style.display = ‘none’;

}

};

This script not only shows or hides the popup but also remembers the user’s response using localStorage—so they don’t get asked every time they return to your cannabis shop.

Limitations of Checkbox or Birthdate Gating

Most cannabis sites still use minimal methods such as a checkbox (“I am over 21”) or inputting a birthdate to verify age. Although easy to install, these are easily circumvented since they are based on visitor honesty. Anyone can tick the box or input an invalid date without actual verification, making it unsuitable for legal requirements.

If the same system supports both online shops and brick-and-mortar dispensary points, the threats compound. For e-commerce, poor gating can permit underage users to view off-limits product pages or order products. In dispensaries, a multi-use system without strong verification can make staff susceptible to errors when manually checking IDs.

For true compliance and protection, businesses need to adopt stronger solutions like ID scanning, document authentication, and third-party age verification services that integrate with both their online and in-store systems.

Why An Age Verification Service Is Essential for Cannabis E-Commerce

Operating a cannabis e-commerce products business involves navigating tough laws—and tougher duty. An age verification system is not merely something to mark off a checklist of compliance. It’s an equitable and flat-out essential measure that shields your business, your customers, and your brand. Here’s why:

1. Prevents Fraud and Fake Orders

One of the largest hurdles to online cannabis sales is ensuring that customers are who they claim to be. A strong age verification system uses identity verification—such as checking government-issued ID against secure databases—to authenticate age and identity in real time. It prevents fraudulent transactions and lowered chargeback risk from stolen cards. It’s not age, it’s responsibility and trust.

2. Complies with Legal and Industry Standards

Cannabis is a highly regulated product, and each state or nation has varying regulations on how it’s distributed and to who you can sell it. Most places don’t permit you to sell it to anyone who is under 18 or 21 years old, depending on where you’re located. Age verification systems assist you in being compliant by verifying each customer’s qualification prior to even viewing your product list. Without it, your company can be slapped with hefty fines, legal action, or be closed down.

3. Shields Minors from Obscene Content

Keeping your cannabis products away from under-age users isn’t merely an enforcement matter—it’s an ethical one. Age verification serves as an electronic watchdog, excluding under-age consumers from content or purchase which is detrimental to their health or well-being. It makes your online store promote healthy use and contribute to a child-friendly internet experience.

Best Practices for Implementing Age Verification on Your Cannabis Site

Here’s how to get it done correctly:

1. Provide Flexible Verification Options

You don’t want to offer age verification the same way to everyone. Some will be fine with uploading an ID, some will opt for an instant mobile scan or even credit card authorisation. Providing options simplifies and makes it easier. The more your platform flexes, the less will abandon their order.

2. Make It Mobile-Friendly

The vast majority of cannabis users also surf and purchase from their smartphone. Which means your age verification process has to be user-friendly on the mobile platform. Refrain from cumbersome forms or minuscule text-entry fields. Allow users to hold up their ID with their phone camera. Make sure a clean, responsive design so customers can verify in a flash without having to zoom in and get annoyed.

3. Growth and Traffic Peaks Scale

Whether it’s 4/20, new product release, or flash sale, your site should be ready for traffic spikes. Your age gate solution needs to scale with your users. Cloud-hosted solutions that handle real-time verification of multiple thousands of users at a time are an intelligent investment—because nothing will destroy conversions faster than load time or downtime.

4. Keep It Quick and Smooth

If they think they’re going through a hassle, they’ll abandon their carts. Take advantage of automatic and faster age verification software—like APIs that check the credentials behind the scenes. The less effort your customers have to put in, the more likely they’ll finish the task and make a purchase.

5. Make It Clearly Explain Why It's Mandatory

Users become more compliant when they know the reason for which their age is being requested. Be respectful and clear in your messaging across the buying process—on product pages, checkout, and on the pop-up. Let them know that it’s to be compliant with regulations, for safety, and to create an ethical cannabis culture. Transparency works to build trust and make users more compliant.

The Significance of Staff Training and ID Verification

Staff training and adequate ID verification are paramount for cannabis companies, both retail and e-commerce. In on-site dispensaries, trained personnel can recognize counterfeit IDs, enforce verification policies uniformly, and avoid expensive infractions. Online, verification software and staffing management verify only valid customers can make purchases. As an added benefit, training fosters customer confidence and strengthens an image as a responsible brand.

Errors such as selling to underage consumers can carry severe consequences, including hefty fines, license revocation, or damage to their reputation. Through the use of technology combined with educated staff, dispensaries provide a safe, compliant environment that serves both the business and the community it serves.

Conclusion

Installing a strong age verification system on your cannabis online store isn’t merely about being regulated—it’s about gaining trust, safeguarding your business, and providing an ethical consumer experience. Implementing secure verification with a painless user experience will ensure underage purchase is excluded, prevent fraud, and keep you in compliance without disrupting customer experience.

FAQs

1.Why do I need an age verification system for my cannabis website?

It is legally required to exclude children from access to cannabis products and comply with local regulations.

2.What are typical methods of age verification online?

Popular methods are ID uploading, credit card authentication, and mobile phone verification.

3.Will age verification slow down my website or sales?

Not if properly implemented—modern systems are fast, seamless, and mobile to avoid breaking the user experience.

4.Is age verification safe for customers?

Yes, most of the platforms provide encrypted technology and secure portals to safeguard customer information.

5.Can I brand the age verification popup?

Yes—most solutions allow full branding to reflect your site’s appearance and feel.