Dispensary Prices Vs Street Prices: What Is The Actual Difference?

The gap between dispensary prices and street prices is a constant discussion among cannabis consumers. While legal cannabis offers regulation, testing, and assurance of where your products are coming from, street marijuana costs still attract a large number of buyers. So, let’s break down the differences between street weed vs dispensary weed, why there is still such a large gap, and how you can get the best quality for the best price.

The difference between dispensary prices and street weed isn’t just about the taxes. While all the state, city, and local taxes add up, many other factors feed into why licensed dispensary prices can be so high.

The price of marijuana can be affected by:

• Geography
• Licensing fees and compliance costs
• Lab testing and packaging
• Operational costs like employee wages and security

The average weed prices by state, based on the cost of an ounce, are listed below:

• Alaska: $298
• Arizona: $297
• Arkansas: $331
• California: $257
• Colorado: $242
• Connecticut: $333
• Delaware: $340
• Florida: $299
• Georgia: $318
• Hawaii: $314
• Idaho: $274
• Illinois: $354
• Indiana: $333
• Iowa: $363
• Kansas: $344
• Kentucky: $339
• Louisiana: $259
• Maine: $288
• Maryland: $361
• Massachusetts: $341
• Michigan: $290
• Minnesota: $280
• Mississippi: $349
• Missouri: $355
• Montana: $269
• Nebraska: $309
• Nevada: $270
• New Hampshire: $335
• New Jersey: $344
• New Mexico: $284
• New York: $337
• North Carolina: $342
• North Dakota: $384
• Ohio: $330
• Oklahoma: $345
• Oregon: $211
• Pennsylvania: $358
• Rhode Island: $308
• South Carolina: $336
• South Dakota: $351
• Tennessee: $345
• Texas: $325
• Utah: $281
• Vermont: $346
• Virginia: $365
• Washington: $233
• West Virginia: $363
• Wisconsin: $344
• Wyoming: $318
• Washington D.C.: $598

So, is dispensary weed better than street weed? The answer to that depends on a few things. Dispensary cannabis is supposed to be tested for potency and contaminants, grown under strict safety regulations, and overall, high-quality marijuana.

However, this isn’t always the case. Just like legal cannabis products sold in dispensaries, street marijuana can also be grown in safe conditions and without harmful pesticides, curating the same level of quality as weed sold on the legal market. That being said, not all street cannabis can be held to this standard, and unless you personally know who is growing it, you don’t really know what you’re getting.

When it comes to product safety and the question of “Is dispensary weed safer than street weed?” there are some essential factors to consider. Legal dispensaries are less likely to have products contaminated with pesticides, mold or mildew, and heavy metals overall than black market products due to required lab testing.

Legal dispensaries offer cannabis products that are third-party tested. Before cannabis products can be sold on the legal market, they must be tested for:

• Mold and mildew
• Heavy metals
• Pesticides
• Cannabinoid levels
• Terpenes (in some states)

But there’s a catch. Sometimes, state laws don’t require testing for all harmful pesticides or heavy metals, if any at all. For example, the legal market in California has been under fire for failing to add certain harmful pesticides to its list of required pesticides to test for. This has led to a number of reports and recalls of specific brands, particularly vape cartridges, containing high levels of dangerous pesticides like Pymetrozine, a reproductive disruptor and cancer-causing chemical.

In addition, states like Rhode Island require testing for recreational cannabis, but not medical marijuana. On the other side, in states where cannabis is not yet recreationally legal, other substances, like Delta-8, Delta-11, THCP, and HHC, may be sprayed on low-quality CBD flower to make it intoxicating and sold on the black market to unsuspecting consumers.

Cannabis on the legacy market may be cheaper, but if you don’t know your grower directly, it can also come without:

• Verification of strains and genetics
• Cannabinoid and terpene testing
• Screening for contaminants like pesticides

Street dealers may not know exactly where the product came from, how it was grown, whether it was grown with pesticides, or whether it is free of other contaminants like heavy metals and mold.

So, is dispensary weed stronger than street weed? This can be challenging to determine, but in most cases, yes. However, there have been many accusations of THC inflation among labs and cannabis brands. While flower testing over 30% THC is attainable in the legal market, it’s possible that many of those numbers may have been falsely inflated to increase sales.

On the legacy market, growers can still produce top-quality cannabis flower. Still, due to the regulations around testing cannabis, they typically will never obtain a certificate of analysis (COA) that validates the potency of the flower.

To find the best marijuana prices at your local shop, look for promotions on dispensary websites and compare prices on Weedmaps and Leafly. Many dispensaries have daily deals like “Munchie Monday” or “Waxy Wednesday,” offering discounts on certain brands or types of products.

Another way to save money is to buy in bulk when you can. Oftentimes, it costs less to purchase a half ounce or ounce of flower than several eighths of flower. It’s also worth asking your budtender about loyalty programs that may offer access to exclusive discounts. Seasonal sales like 4/20, 7/10, and Green Wednesday can also be the perfect time to stock up on your supply of cannabis.

For many consumers, it is a matter of the cost of marijuana and ease of access when it comes to deciding where to purchase cannabis. If you live in a non-legal state and cannot obtain a medical cannabis card, you may only have street cannabis to choose from. Sometimes, consumers are unhappy with the purchase limits in many states and get better deals by purchasing a pound of flower from the local dealer.

Street weed vs legal cannabis products both come with their benefits.

Street prices are usually lower than your local shop’s, but dispensary cannabis can offer more transparency on where the product came from and how it was made. In some states where adult-use cannabis is still illegal, medical marijuana is restricted to those who have a state-approved medical condition or symptoms. This can make street weed more accessible for some individuals who may not have an approved condition, but still benefit from using medical marijuana.

In the end, consumers should be making informed choices about where they obtain their cannabis from.