Start with dose, not price
Decide how much THC you want before you open a menu. A 100 mg edible pack and a 1 gram vape cartridge are not the same purchase. Price per milligram of THC and price per gram of flower let you compare two stores on equal terms.
Check the package date. Some flower sits 6 to 12 months between harvest and package date. Old flower loses terpenes and moisture. Dry flower weighs less, so you pay the same money for less material.
US price ranges by state
Flower prices track state supply, not brand. Mid-grade flower runs about $100 to $200 per ounce in Oregon and Colorado. The same tier runs $250 to $400 per ounce in Illinois, Massachusetts and New York. Numbers shift with harvest size and store count. Treat them as a range, not a quote.
Price by product type
- Flower, mid-grade: $3 to $7 per gram in low-tax states, $10 to $14 in high-tax states.
- Pre-rolls: $5 to $15 each, $30 to $60 for a 5-pack.
- Vape cartridges, distillate: $20 to $45 per gram.
- Live resin and rosin cartridges: $40 to $90 per gram.
- Concentrates: $15 to $40 per gram for wax, $50 to $100 per gram for rosin.
- Edibles: $15 to $30 per 100 mg pack. That is $0.15 to $0.30 per mg of THC.
Taxes change the total
Menu prices in most states exclude tax. Washington adds 37 percent excise tax at the register. California adds 15 percent excise tax plus sales tax and local taxes. Colorado adds 15 percent excise tax and 15 percent retail sales tax plus 2.9 percent state sales tax. Illinois taxes flower at 10 percent, infused products at 20 percent, and products above 35 percent THC at 25 percent, plus sales tax. A $40 eighth in Illinois can cost $60 out the door.
Pitfalls
- Shake sold as flower. Shake holds stems and leaf. Ask for whole bud if the listing says pre-ground.
- The term top shelf has no legal definition. Judge by lab potency, package date and terpene content.
- Delivery fees and minimums. Fees run $5 to $20. Minimums run $50 to $100.
- Potency inflation. Some labs report flower above 35 percent THC. Independent tests often find lower numbers.
- Recalls. States publish recall lists. Check your batch number against the state list before you open the package.