One of the major determinants of whether the legalization of marijuana ends up being a success story for a country is how much a gram of legal weed will cost in comparison to the black market prices.
Canada is currently on its way to making their legalization story either a glorious victory or a resounding defeat.
If the price of legal weed is higher than the current black market price, people might want to stick to the latter, because at the end of the day, people will always pick high-quality and affordable weed over its expensive equivalent.
Canada is known to produce some of the best-quality cannabis in the world, so that’s not an issue.
The question is:
Can the legal market become a worthy competitor to the illicit industry?
We answer this question below in our Canada marijuana pricing guide.
What’s the Average Black Market Price per Gram of Weed?
An analysis from consulting firm Deloitte have estimated the black market price of weed at $8.24 per gram across the country.
Of course, that can vary according to province; for example, customers in Quebec pay an average of $7.53 per gram of weed, but in Ontario they pay an average of $8.33 per gram.
That being said, if the legal market is to compete with the black market, the price per gram will have to be either the same or lower than what people used to pay for weed from their dealers.
How Much do Canadians Currently Pay for a Gram of Legal Weed?
Marijuana is now subject to an excise tax of $1 per gram, or 10 percent of the final retail price. 75 percent of that tax revenue goes to the provinces, while 25 percent fuels the federal budget.
On top of this extra tax, customers have to pay the usual 13 to 15 percent in GST; again, the actual tax rate depends on the province.
The prices of legal weed per gram vary between $7.76 – $10.47 CAD.
Those figure make for the prices of medical and recreational marijuana. Medical patients pay $8.18 CAD on average per gram whereas recreational users pay $7.42 for the same amount.
How much you pay for a gram of legal weed also depends on where you get your supplies from. Currently, you can buy marijuana in government-run stores or from private retailers if you live in a province which allows private retail sales.
Prices of Government-sold Weed
The majority of medical marijuana dispensaries in Canada charge around $9.12 CAD per gram on average. This price refers to marijuana flowers and can vary depending on the strain, as well as different discounts available when buying weed in large quantities.
Canada’s government-operated recreational dispensaries in provinces like Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Ontario reflect these prices. Northwestern Territories, on the other hand, can charge more for a gram due to the harsher growing conditions and a humble number of cannabis stores.
How Much Will I Pay For a Gram When Buying Marijuana Online?
Marijuana delivery services in have been around in Canada way before the legalization of recreational weed.
The competition among online suppliers is quite dense, to say the least, so such services price their weed according to their competitors.
While you will end up paying a bit more for weed than you would on the black market, marijuana delivery services offer the easiest and the most convenient way to get your herbs.
Long story short, thanks to the extra customer service, high-quality products, and the safety of deliveries, people are willing to pay more for online weed.
Canadian mail order marijuana prices range from around $5.89 – $8.29 per gram for customers buying weed in bulk. A single gram can be purchased around $7.20 – $12.
Most online marijuana stores sell in amounts ranging from ⅛ oz. (3.5 grams) to 1 oz (28 grams).
Here are the average prices for some popular strains in online stores (in CAD):
- 3.5 grams of Gorilla Glue: $29.20
- 3.5 grams of White Cookies: $30.25
- 3.5 grams of Girl Scout Cookies: $32.40
- 3.5 grams of Bubba Kush: $33.25
Prices can vary depending on the potency and popularity of the strain. ⅛ oz can cost you anything between $25 – $40, with the average price of $31.20 per eight.
How Much Do Other Marijuana Products Cost in Canada?
It goes without saying that people looking to benefit from the legal marijuana market will also look for products other than flowers.
Here’s a quick breakdown of the average prices for different weed-infused goods:
Edibles
Most marijuana stores sell different forms of edibles, including chocolate, gummies, lollipops, cookies, and cereal bars.
The price of marijuana edibles can vary depending on the type, basis weight, and the concentration of THC and CBD within the product.
For example, a chocolate cookie with 50mg of THC can be bought for $7, while a chocolate bar containing 300mg of THC could cost you twice as much ($14 – $15); gummies generally cost around $10 per package.
If you’re looking for the least expensive weed edibles, try a cereal bar or a THC-infused lollipops.
You can also buy edibles in the so-called multi-packs, with large packs of different products costing up to $100.
Concentrates
Canadians love marijuana concentrates such as hash, resin, and shatter.
As you may guess, a gram of a marijuana concentrate will cost you more than a gram of dry buds, mainly due to a much higher THC (or CBD) content.
A gram of shatter typically costs around $35 – $45 CAD per gram when buying weed online.
This price gets lower when buying concentrates in bulk. For instance, ⅛ oz of shatter can cost around $100 – $109, which leaves us paying around $28.50 – $31.10 per gram.
Moroccan Hash, on the other hand, costs around $16.20 – $20 CAD, with bulk purchases (⅛ oz) being sold for approximately $56 – $60 and providing you with pretty much the same value.
CBD Products
Products such as CBD oil tinctures, capsules, and vapes are largely in-demand for their medicinal value.
They can reduce anxiety, relieve pain, and mitigate the symptoms of serious chronic illnesses without the side effects of typical OTC drugs.
According to an ACMPR price overview of cannabis oils from licensed marijuana stores, each 10mg of CBD costs around $1.49, whereas the average price for 10mg of THC is $1.01. For 10mg of evenly balanced (1:1) cannabis oil, customers typically pay $1.23.
Cannabis Seeds
Most provinces allow their residents to grow up to 4 plants per household.
This creates ripe opportunities for the seed market to contribute to the entire industry.
Currently, you can purchase marijuana seeds from online seed banks, which offer regular, feminized, and autoflowering seeds.
Regular Afghan seeds are available at the average price of $65.86 CAD for 10 seeds. Their feminized counterparts, however, are higher – at $85 for a bag of 10 seeds.
Autoflowering or automatic seeds come at even higher prices. For instance, 10 seeds of autoflowering feminized White Widow will cost you around $120 on average.
The prices of autoflowering, automatic, and feminized seeds are higher because they offer much greater yields, not to mention that they grow remarkably faster.
Regular seeds, on the other hand, have a market share of around 10%. Lower demand automatically closes the way to increasing the prices.
Marijuana Pricing Guide By Province
Wondering how much does a gram of weed costs in your province?
Here’s a neat cheat sheet:
British Columbia
British Columbia is one of the best places to buy marijuana in Canada. Weed is available in online and government-run stores at $6.99 – $16.28 per gram depending on the strain.
You can also get a pre-roll for $4.20 (love you, B.C.).
Alberta
Private stores in Alberta sell marijuana through the official AGLC website, with prices ranging from $9.24 – $15.42 per gram, but when buying large quantities, you can expect your weed to cost around $49.99 per 3.5 grams.
Pre-rolls are sold for $6.64.
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan can be the most expensive province for weed lovers. Private retailers are permitted to set their own price, and some stores sell weed for $18.99 per gram. Cheaper retailers offer 1 gram of weed for $13 – $16 per gram.
Still, it’s kind of a high-end experience, if you get the pun.
Manitoba
Manitoba hosts a humble number of marijuana dispensaries. The province have licensed four stores so far; they are allowed to sell weed both online or in a traditional storefront. The average price is around $12 per gram.
Ontario
Currently, Ontario allows only the government-run sales of cannabis, though private stores are expected to open in April 2019.
There’s a little discrepancy between the prices of weed per gram in Ontario. You can purchase your supplies for between $7.95 – $13.25 for one gram of marijuana.
Quebec
Despite banning home cultivation, Quebec is on a good way to becoming one of the most competitive cannabis markets. A gram of weed costs $5.25 on avarage, taxes included. The province also announced that they would soon start giving licences to private retailers.
New Brunswick
New Brunswick offers a mix of government-run and private retailers. Weed prices range from $8.50 – $14.99 a gram, whereas a pre-rolled joint can cost $7.50 and up.
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has introduced the following price range for cannabis flowers:
- $6.33 – $10.99 for “value cannabis”
- $9 – $10.98 for “core cannabis”
- $10.99 and above for “premium cannabis”
Marijuana is sold by the Nova Scotia Liquor Corp.
Prince Edward Island
Prince Edward Island sells cannabis for $5.65 and up per gram. Purchases are available through government-run and private stores.
Newfoundland and Labrador
Due to the local timezone, Newfoundland and Labrador was the first province to sell marijuana on 17th October. The online government store sells weed for $6.89 and up per gram; a pre-roll costs $4.79. You can also check the prices at privately owned stores, which are slightly lower than what you pay for cannabis in public dispensaries.
Yukon
The cheapest variety of cannabis available at the beginning of legalization was priced at $8, but now that the competition is on the rise, weed can cost anywhere between $6 – $20 per gram.
Nunavut
The government of Nunavut allows the licensed private stores to sell weed both in store and online. However, the only retailer entitled to sell marijuana online is Tweed. The average price for a gram is at around $12.
Northwest Territories
The government’s online store in Northwest Territories, along with private retailers, sells cannabis from $13.13 – $17.50 per gram, which makes it the most expensive province on our list. That’s because of the lower availability of weed and harsher growing conditions.
How Much Does Weed Delivery Cost?
In most cases, weed is sent through Canada Post Xpresspost, arriving within 2–3 business days in most provinces.
Shipping costs can vary depending on the volume and weight of your package, but most online retailers offer a flat rate of around $15 CAD per delivery.
If you want to avoid the shipping fee, we encourage you to buy weed in bulk. Free shipping generally starts at anywhere from $100 – $200.
Bottom Line
Buying weed in Canada is easy and convenient, and now that marijuana has become legal on the national scale, cannabis and its derivatives are more available than ever.
As you can see, prices for a gram of weed can vary between provinces and depends on several different factors, such as the number of private and public retailers, the availability and potency of marijuana strains, and whether or not you’re buying the herb in large quantities.
Where do you buy your weed? Are you “Team In-Store” or “Team Online?”