You Shall Not Pass? The Design of Age Gates in an Emerging Cannabis Market

Journal of Technical Writing and Communication Jul 2023

You Shall Not Pass? The Design of Age Gates in an Emerging Cannabis Market

Michael J. Madson Arizona State University

Abstract

Age gates are becoming common on the websites of cannabis dispensaries, following design practices in other controversial industries. Yet, age gates can typically be bypassed through trial and error or basic arithmetic, raising questions over best practices. This study therefore characterized the age gates of dispensaries licensed in the Arizona adult use cannabis program, using a “digital mystery shopper” approach to examine the age gates’ location, appearance, and performance. After presenting the results, I outline possible best practices and next steps for technical and professional communicators.

Journal: Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
Published: 2023-07-01
DOI: 10.1177/00472816221104497
Open Access: Closed
Topics: multimodality

Citation Context

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