Oregon continues to have the lowest prices for legal cannabis in the United States according to a recent analysis by California-based Pacific Stone. The results of the analysis were first reported by Green Market Report.
The State of Oregon became the third state to adopt a recreational cannabis legalization measure in 2014, only behind Colorado and Washington State, both of which adopted adult-use legalization back in 2012. Oregon was the first state to decriminalize cannabis possession (1973), and the second to legalize cannabis for medical use (1998).
“Cannabis prices across the U.S. vary greatly depending on the state. Oregon, for example, features the cheapest over-the-counter legal marijuana for customers to purchase, at an average price of just $199, according to a new report compiled by California-based Pacific Stone.” Green Market Report stated about the results of the Pacific Stone analysis.
“The Pacific Stone team found, based on 383,000 “user-submitted marijuana prices” from the website priceofweed.com, that the national average of an ounce of cannabis is roughly $290.22, but at least 10 states offer cheaper prices.” Green Market Report also stated in its coverage.
A closer analysis by Cannabis Industry Data of prices for a legal ounce of cannabis flower in Oregon found that prices for legal cannabis are even lower than the $199 figure that Pacific Stone reported.
Cannabis Industry Data is based in Oregon, and the lowest price for an ounce of legal cannabis flower that the operators of this website have found was $15 (Lincoln City, Oregon). To be fair, the $15 Oregon ounces are not very desirable. However, numerous licensed retail outlets across Oregon regularly sell quality cannabis flower for $40-75 per ounce, and that price includes taxes.
The low prices in Oregon are due to various factors, not the least of which is the basic economic principle of supply and demand. Cannabis is cultivated very easily in Oregon compared to most other legal states, and regulators in Oregon have issued more licenses per capita than most, if not all, other legal states.
Oregon has roughly 800 licensed dispensaries – more than triple what is expected in Ohio when that state’s adult-use industry eventually becomes fully operational. The large number of dispensaries in Oregon yields tremendous competition, and that contributes to the low prices.
When interstate cannabis commerce becomes legal in the U.S., Oregon is well-positioned to supply much of the nation’s dispensaries. Outdoor cannabis plants cultivated in Southern Oregon can yield as much as 15-18 pounds of dried cannabis flower per plant, in addition to the ‘sugar leaves’ that can be used for making cannabis concentrates and other products.