Since the legalization of recreational cannabis use in multiple states, we are seeing new dispensaries open every day - making cannabis more accessible to Americans who want to reap its benefits. However, how do you know if you’re paying the right price for your bud? 

The price of dispensary weed will differ between each dispensary, and many factors determine its cost including, government tax rates, state and municipal laws, geographic location, shipping costs, quality of product, market competition.

We created a small guide so you know what to expect and what prices are fair when purchasing bud from retail vendors.

Weed Dispensary Pricing

Dispensary prices will vary depending on which state you are buying from and the quality of the flower.

Here is the average breakdown:

• The retail price for a gram of weed will range from $10-15. One gram of bud is approximately 1 or 2 joints, depending on the size.

• An eighth, which is 3.5 grams, will cost between $30-$40 at the dispensary.

• A quarter ounce, or 7 grams, will retail at $65-$80 and can roll 14 half-gram joints.

• An ounce of bud, which equals 28 grams will cost around $200-$350

Here are some other factors that affect the price of dispensary weed:

Weed Prices Throughout Different States

The cannabis market in each state is different, usually, the states who were first to legalize the recreational use of cannabis have the cheapest weed.

This is due to the developed, open, and saturated market.

In the District of Columbia, an ounce of weed retails at $600 whereas, in Oregon, the same amount will go for $200.

Quantity: More is Less

Everyone knows the saying “Less is More,” but that’s not the case with cannabis quantity and price. Usually, the more you buy, the more you’ll save.

Purchasing larger quantities of cannabis will reduce the cost per unit. For example, if you buy an ounce of cannabis, a gram will total at $7-$12, whereas you pay $10-$15 if you choose to buy a gram on its own. 

Variety of Strains

Dispensaries offer a wide variety of strains and some strains are of better quality than others.

Furthermore, higher quality strains will cost more due to several factors including:

• Yield amount (high-quality strains usually have lower yields)

• Color

• Trichomes

• Potency 

• Cannabinoid and terpene levels

Specialty strains like Loud Dream will cost up to $800 an ounce, but strains like Northern Lights and OG Kush, which are widely available and popular, will retail at around $200-$250. 

Dispensary Prices vs Street Prices

Dispensary prices for weed are higher than what you would find from the street or local dealer because dispensaries have to cover expenses such as employee wages, rent, and utilities.

It costs money to run a storefront, and to make a profit - dispensaries must mark up the prices of their products.

Additionally, licensing, taxation, and regulation rates related to the sale of marijuana are much higher than those of tobacco and alcohol, making legal cannabis much more expensive than illegal cannabis. 

Cannasaver Gives You the Best Prices

Cannasaver is here to make sure you never pay more than you should at a dispensary again!

We’ve teamed up with hundreds of dispensaries to make the best deals in the area accessible to you. 

Before heading out to the dispensary, check out our Deals Near You Category for your latest deals.

You can use our search bar to refine your search even more. Type in a specific strain or even your location, and find a whole lot of deals waiting for you.

We update our website frequently, so you’ll always have access to the newest and best deals in the area.

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Your Guide to 2021 Colorado Weed Prices  

As of 2020, Colorado is closer to a decade of recreational marijuana being legal than a modern preschooler is to third grade. While it’s been a ride, the laws governing cannabis sales in the state evolve every year. One of the factors that influence these legal changes? The average price of weed in Colorado. 

Colorado weed prices affect how much tax is collected. Legal weed prices also aid in reducing black market activity around cannabis, so long as they are low enough to prevent those selling it from being able to reliably turn a profit. 

That’s why we created this guide – to describe how much weed in Colorado is, how much it differs across the state and why. Let’s dive in.

Creating A Consumer Methodology for Determining The Price Of Weed in Colorado

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, in October 2020 the average price per pound of flower for growers to dispensaries was ~$1300. 

Put another way, growers on average charge dispensaries the following:

• $81.25 per ounce

• $10.15 per ⅛ ounce

• $2.88 per gram

Once dispensaries have received the flower, the price doubles or triples before reaching the buyer. This is the result of paying employees, renting property, buying equipment, and other business operation expenses. 

In order to create a methodology that captures the consumer-end price, we’ve added 200-300 percent to the AMR price the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division uses for taxation. 

The Result?

Average Price Per Ounce in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $160 - $240 

Average Price Per 1/8 Ounce in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $20 - $30

Average Price Per Gram in Colorado for Recreational Consumers: ~ $5.76 - $8.64

We will use these as benchmarks in the analysis below. 

Determining Colorado Weed Prices

Prices of cannabis in Colorado vary based on brand, region, current specials, and dozens of other factors.

Built within this is a feedback loop for the state and cannabis producers and dispensaries. 

Once every three months, the Colorado Marijuana Enforcement Division, known as Colorado MED, uses data from grower to manufacturer (like an edible producer) or seller (such as a dispensary) to determine an Average Market Rate (AMR). The AMR is the basis for taxes and is reviewed based on weight. 

In the chart below, available on the Colorado Department of Revenue website, you can see that growers of marijuana in Colorado, on average, charge ~$1,300 per pound in October 2020. This is up 30 percent from ~$1,000 in October 2019. This is important for later.

(Pulled from CO DOR 11/25/2020)

Why The Average Market Rate Matters

Roughly speaking, by the time cannabis gets to the consumer the price per pound is double or more than the AMR (average market rate). This is in part because manufacturers and dispensaries have to pay staff, labor, as well as equipment, and licensing. 

The other part? 

Colorado marijuana laws place limits on both recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients.

Consumers can’t easily go out and buy a pound since the law limits recreational to an ounce, or 1/16th of a pound.

In the decades where cannabis was illegal entirely when a police raid created headlines like “$1 Million in Marijuana Confiscated”, it was an average market rate that allowed this headline to make sense. Police would use average street prices to evaluate the worth of a quantity. This applies equally to legal markets. 

How Much Is Weed In Colorado? 

As of October 2020, Colorado MED pulls together purchase information from a total of 466 cultivators, 216 product manufacturers, and 416 medical or recreational stores as part of creating the AMR. When retail mark-up is added, our methodology will give us a standard price. 

To remind you, we are using the following as baseline pricing:

• Average Price Per Ounce for Recreational Consumers: ~ $160 - $240 

• Average Price Per 1/8 Ounce for Recreational Consumers: ~ $20 - $30

• Average Price Per Gram for Recreational Consumers: ~ $5.76 - $8.64

Now let’s test these price estimates on some cannabis dispensaries in Colorado: 

Botanico (Denver)

Strain: Crystal Gelato

Prices: $20 per 1/8th, $160 per ounce

Strain: Bazookies

Price: $140 per ounce

Check Out Botanico Cannabis Deals Here: 

• Botanico

• Botanico 2

Medicine Man (Longmont)

Strain: Cookies N’ Cream

Prices: $19 per 1/8th, $114 per ounce

Strain: G6 #3

Prices: $19 per 1/8th, $114 per ounce

Check Out Medicine Man Deals Here:

• Medicine Man Denver

• Medicine Man Longmont

• Medicine Man Aurora

• Medicine Man Thorton

Organix (Breckenridge)

Strain: GG #4

Price: $15 per gram, $32 per 1/8th, $155 per ounce

Check Out Organix Deals Here:

• Organix Breckenridge

The Lodge (RiNo Denver)

Strain: Sour Chunk

Price: $13 per gram, $32 per 1/8th, $150 per ounce

Check Out The Lodge Deals Here:

• The Lodge - Federal BLVD

• The Lodge - High Street

What Is The Average Price Per Gram In Colorado? 

The above pricing samples and our baseline costs tell us a few things about weed prices in Colorado. We estimated the average cost per gram, based on Colorado DOR data, to be between ~$6 to $9. However, from our sample, we can see that the average cost per gram is much more.

The average cost per gram of weed in Colorado is between $10-$15. 

This is likely because, as with most things, weed is cheaper when bought in bulk. 

What Is The Average Price Of An 1/8th In Colorado? 

We estimated based on available data from the state of Colorado the average price per 1/8th would be between $20 and $30 dollars. Botanico was on the lower end of our estimated range at $20 per 1/8th. Medicine Man was $19 per 1/8th or $1 less than the estimated low.

Both Organix and The Lodge dispensaries show up at the higher end of our estimated price range, but only by a little. Both have an average price per 1/8th of $32, or $2 more than our $30 high estimate. 

What Is The Average Price Of An Ounce In Colorado? 

The methodology for estimating Colorado weed prices we established actually overestimated the price per ounce on nearly every count. Our methodology puts the average price per ounce at between $160 and $240. 

Every dispensary fell at or below our benchmark of $160. Again, buying in bulk will always lower the price – with anything from soap to marijuana.

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