How Much Is a Gram of Weed

How Much Is a Gram of Weed and How Much Does Weed Cost Across the United States?

As American states legalized marijuana in the past decade, they have created a jumble of small-scale economies. These economies are subject to state law and are walled off by firewalls; No gram can legally cross the state line. So it is not surprising that even when markets are side-by-side, they are very different.

In the past few years, many states have legalized the use of the substance to some extent. Some states, such as New Mexico and New York, have it only legally for medical purposes. In contrast, others, such as Vermont and California, have enacted laws that allow state citizens to engage in recreational drug-taking. Because the substance is so widely used, we decided to take a closer look at how the price of marijuana varies in American states. We used the widely cited national price catalog to compile the average price of high - and medium-quality marijuana in each state. We looked at the price of two quantities: an ounce and a "connector" (as defined by the HHS study). Our results show significant differences between states according to their legalization status.

Credit for photo: Hightimes.com

Weed weight price

An excellent way to think about the size of each quantity is how much usage you can get from it. Sure you can smoke bongs or dry herb vapes but the size of the bowls or chambers on these vary so widely. Therefore an easy method is to think of how many joints you can roll from each quantity. Reports determining the average size of a joint vary a bit. One study determined that the average weight of weed involved in a single joint is only about 0.32 grams, while many avid marijuana users report using up to 1 gram at a time.

Of course, the actual amount of cannabis used in a single joint varies according to the smoker's preferences, but for the average estimate, we are taking the United States Office of National Drug Control Policy baseline, which calculated it at about 0.5 grams. So a gram of weed would get you two bowls of weed with a typical bong.

How much does a gram of weed cost?

A gram of weeds in pharmacies usually costs between $10 and $15. The actual price varies according to the state and quality of the flowers. 

In places such as Oregon and Seattle, the price is about $6.75 per gram, while in Colorado, it is about $7.15 per gram. In Washington, D.C., a gram of marijuana can cost more than $18. In Canada, the average price of a gram is about $9.

How much is a gram of weed?

Visually, a gram of weeds can range in size from a quarter to a half a dollar. Usually, this is the minimum amount you can buy at the pharmacy. You may have heard of the slang term a dime of weed.  A “dime” of weed refers to a quantity of cannabis that is one gram. A dime bag would be a bag with 1 gram of weed in it.

At half a gram of herb per joint, you can roll two joints out of a gram of marijuana. Incidentally, a half gram of weed is sometimes called a nick or nickel of weed, this is because there are two nickels in a dime. 

A gram is useful for trying new strains to test their effectiveness, but it is the most expensive way to buy marijuana, this is because when you buy in larger quantities you get more value for your money.  The next step up from a gram of weed is an eighth.

How much does an eighth of weed cost?

On average, an eighth of weed costs between $30 and $35. At the high end of the market, an eighth is nearly $40 in Alaska and about $65 in Washington, DC. At the lower end of the market, customers in Oregon and Seattle will pay about $23. In Canada, consumers can expect to pay around $28.

How much is an eighth of weed?

An eighth is the next unit of measurement after the gram. 1/8 is an eighth of an ounce. An eighth of an ounce is about 3.543 grams, but in the cannabis world, many places will round that down to 3.5 grams, but a few may round it up to 4 grams. This could be if you're a regular there or maybe it is a way to thank new buyers for buying there. 

At an average of 0.5 grams per joint, an eighth will get you seven joints.

How much does a quarter of weed cost?

A quarter of weed sells for an average of $65-$75. Again prices vary by location. Some states are below average. In Oregon, Washington, and Colorado, prices are about $46, $48, and $50 a quarter, respectively. In North Dakota, a quarter of weeds cost as much as $82, and in Washington, D.C., nearly $120. The average price of a quarter of weed in Canada is about $54.

How much is a quarter of weed?

A quarter of an ounce, 1/4 of 1oz, is the same as 2/8. So that's 7.86 grams. if you're lucky you may get 8 grams, but you could also end up closer to 7.5 grams.

Credit for photo: greenbits.com

Average cost: How much does an ounce of quality marijuana cost?

The average cost of an ounce of high-quality marijuana in each U.S. state. You may have heard the term a zip of weed. A zip of weed is a slang term for one ounce.

First, we looked at the average price of high-quality marijuana (an ounce). Interestingly, the District of Columbia is the most expensive. The three states with the highest average prices were the District of Columbia ($597.88), North Dakota ($383.60), and Virginia ($364.89). In these places, marijuana use is limited: in the District of Columbia, it is illegal to buy marijuana; In North Dakota, marijuana is only legal for medical use; Marijuana is illegal at any level in Virginia. The three states with the lowest prices are all in the West, and all are legal for recreational use: Oregon ($210.75), Washington ($232.90), and Colorado ($241.74). The national average was $326.06.

Average cost: How much does an ounce of medium-quality marijuana cost?

The average cost of an ounce of medium quality marijuana in each U.S. state AKA mids weed

Next, we looked at the average cost of medium quality marijuana (one ounce). The area remains the most expensive, but the next two states are in a different order from buying high-quality marijuana: The District of Columbia ($550.66), South Dakota ($335.26), and Minnesota ($330.52). The cheapest places are Mississippi ($170.22), Oregon ($187.09), and Washington ($196.82). The national average was $265.58.

Average cost: How much does a "joint" of premium cannabis cost?

The average cost of a single joint worth of high-quality marijuana in every U.S. state.

We also want to look at these costs in different quantities: a "joint." A recent U.S. HHS study estimated one at 0.66 grams, so we calculated based on that figure. The three states with the highest prices for high-quality marijuana were the District of Columbia ($13.92), North Dakota ($8.93), and Virginia ($8.49), while the three cheapest states were Oregon ($4.91), Washington ($5.42) and Colorado ($5.63). The national average is $7.59.

Average cost: How much does a "Joint" of medium quality cannabis?

The average cost of a medium-quality joint in a U.S. states.

Finally, we looked at mid-quality prices in terms of "combined" quantities. Once again, Washington, D.C. is the most expensive state ($12.82), followed by South Dakota ($7.81) and Minnesota ($7.69). The three states with the lowest costs are Mississippi ($3.96), Oregon ($4.36), and Washington ($4.58), with a national average of $6.18.

Breakdown of the average cost of cannabis

Statistics on the average cost of marijuana, high - and medium-quality, ounce and joint in each state of the United States

In addition to addictive substances (legal or not), cannabis use is associated with adverse mental health outcomes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, marijuana use is associated with "the development of schizophrenia and other psychosis," a higher likelihood of suicide, a higher risk of social anxiety disorder, and other negative effects.

Conclusion

Its clear the states with the more liberal laws and those states that were the first to legalize recreational cannabis are the cheapest states for buying cannabis. This is most likely down to those states having the most developed, open, and competitive cannabis markets.  However, it is weird how in the UK, where weed is a class B drug and illegal it is possible to buy weed at around 180GBP per oz. that's about $220 USD. Perhaps the light touch attitude of the police from when cannabis was a class C drug is part of this reason. 

By comparison in Oregon, where cannabis is legal for both medical and recreational use an ounce of weed would cost about $210 USD, and in every other US state, you'd be paying more, although in those legal states you are getting a regulated and safe product, an paying a tax markup. 

At the far end of the scale, you have Asia where in many places cannabis is illegal and carries extreme penalties. This is the reason behind high prices in places like Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong. The cheapest capital city in the world to buy cannabis is Quito, Ecuador, where 1 ounce of weed will cost you less than $40 US. 

How much does a gram of weed cost around the world?

To see how the US compares to the rest of the worlds cannabis prices we have used this table below from weedindex.io

*We take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information, please investigate and confirm by yourself the legality of cannabis possession and consumption in any state or country before buying, possession, consuming, or taking cannabis there. 

*We take no responsibility for the accuracy of this information, please investigate and confirm by yourself the legality of cannabis possession and consumption in any state or country before buying, possessing, consuming, or taking cannabis there. 

There are plenty of online directories to find weed and stores in your area. You can contrast these prices to US prices using the chart below. 

Source for this data (civilized.life/articles/states-ranked-weed-costs/)