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How Much Is a Pound of Weed? 2023 Updated Guide

October 18, 2021

Now more than ever, people are asking, “how much is a pound of weed?” But why, and what does the answer mean to you?

Well, whether you’re the average wake-and-baker, part-time toker, a ganjapreneur, or medical marijuana user, cannabis prices have far-reaching effects.

What a pound of weed costs not only impacts how much you’ll pay for a gram but the cannabis industry at large. In 2020, the legal U.S. ganja market hit a record-breaking value of $17.5 billion (a 46% increase from 2019). 

Meanwhile, illicit marijuana sales totaled an estimated $100 billion, and everyone from investors to politicians are sitting up and taking notice, all wanting their pound of weed (not flesh).

It’s also a factor that helps state lawmakers weigh up prohibition expenses against potential tax revenues. (If they were to legalize the herb, that is). 

As society embraces the amazing benefits of marijuana and legalization efforts continue to sweep across America, the cost of a pound of weed brings us new insights. 

So, let’s dive in and discover what you can expect to pay for 1lb of the green stuff in 2021.

Handful bud

What is a pound of weed?

It’s unlikely that you’ll use a pound of marijuana at a time (unless you’re sharing with a lot of your 420 friends). Even then, it’s not an amount you can walk in and buy at a dispensary or even legally possess in most cases.

Still, it’s a good idea to understand what does a 1 pound plant look like and what 1lb of weed actually means before getting into the finer details about its cost.

If you’ve ever bought some bud, you’ve probably come across terms like halves, quarters, eighths, dubs, zips, and dime bags. These weed measurements rely on both the imperial and metric systems, mostly because the latter has smaller, more precise units. 

One pound of weed is the biggest measurement, often used as a baseline by cannabis exchanges and large-scale buyers or sellers. Its price also dictates the cost of smaller amounts, all the way down to the gram.

So, let’s work it out: 1 pound of weed equals 16 ounces or 453.592 grams. That’s precisely 28.3495 grams per ounce. 

However, dispensaries and dealers alike typically round it down to 28 grams per ounce for easier calculations, where:

  • Half an ounce is 14 grams.
  • A quarter ounce is 7 grams.
  • An eighth of an ounce is 3.5 grams.

How much is a half-pound of weed, then? In this case, it’s 8 ounces or 224 grams rounded off, meaning a quarter-pound is 4 ounces or 112 grams rounded off.

Without that 0.3495 grams per ounce, one pound of marijuana then equals 448 grams.

While it won’t make much of a difference to the small-time weed buyer, it still adds up for more significant purchases. 

If you’re adamant about getting your full money’s worth, ask your budtender to weigh up your weed in front of you. A digital scale also helps for accurate pound of weed measurements.

Marijuana bud
Marijuana bud

What factors affect the pound of weed price?

To understand how much a pound of weed is worth, we have to look at the contributing factors. Cannabis prices, much like other commodities, are determined by wide-ranging variables from seed to shelf, such as: 

Bud quality

The price of a pound of weed, and indeed everything else, is largely dependent on quality. That’s why outdoor grows, at the mercy of the elements, are usually cheaper than buds cultivated from sophisticated and controlled hydroponic setups. 

While there’s no precise grading system, cannabis quality typically depends on THC or CBD content, plant health, and of course, genetics. 

A primo, trichome-covered pound of weed with an established lineage costs more than some dry, reggie dank your friend’s cousin’s uncle grew in the backyard.

Mother Nature

Nature affects all crops, even indoor ones, so it impacts the pound of weed price, too. Favorable conditions can lead to a higher yield per plant, but bad weather can mean the opposite.

Wildfires, tornadoes, and other freak events can ravage a plantation, put the lights out, and ultimately drive up the price of a pound of marijuana. 

Restrictions

In states where marijuana is still largely restricted (think Kentucky, Indiana, or Idaho), a pound of weed, albeit illegal, is likely more expensive. 

Growing, transporting, and selling cannabis in such regions are dangerous activities that can lead to fines, jail time, and even a felony. 

States that favor marijuana legalization, like Colorado, California, or Arizona, also have restrictions on cultivation and possession. Ultimately, the degree of red tape in a region affects the price of 1lb of weed. 

Taxes

Tax revenue motivates marijuana legalization, regulation, and more control over the cannabis market, which is still largely illicit. It also drives up the pound of weed price.

From their first years of collection until the end of 2020, California, Colorado, and Washington generated $2,067,681,715, $1,595,446,952, and $1,810,010,000 in taxes, respectively. 

In these and other tax-collecting states, one pound of weed costs substantially more. 

For instance, Cali taxes $9.65 per ounce for flower and $1.35 per fresh cannabis plant. Meanwhile, Colorado charges a 15% wholesale excise tax and another 15% retail excise tax on marijuana. Washington imposes a 37% retail tax and 6.5% general sales tax on ganja.

While a necessary evil, taxes affect what you’ll pay for a pound of marijuana down to the gram. 

Competition

With weed legalization comes a fair amount of competition. The answer to “how much for a pound of weed?” depends on where you’re asking.

In established 420-friendly states like Cali, more rival outlets exist, all trying to attract customers with lower prices. 

This, in turn, creates competition at the wholesale level. Suppliers offer better rates per pound of weed to keep their stakes in the cannabis game.  

Conversely, states with emerging legal markets only have a handful of retailers, allowing for monopolization and hiked-up prices. 

Illicit street dealers vie for customers in much the same way as outlets, something the legal market must also compete against.   

Supply and demand

Supply and demand affect the pound of weed cost, too. According to Statista, 63% of adult Americans were in favor of marijuana legalization in 2020. That figure is double what it was in 2003.  

In a 2020 Hubspot survey, 36% of respondents said they use weed more than twice a day, 31% for recreational purposes, 17% medicinally, and 52% for both reasons.

It’s safe to say a pound of marijuana is in high demand, especially since legal cannabis sales skyrocketed in 2020, with predictions exceeding $40 billion by 2026.

On the other hand, 2020 wildfires in Oregon and Cali’s Emerald Triangle turned many farms into ashes, which could cause a drop in supply. Paired with a consistent high demand, this could push the pound of weed price up.

Cannabis buds and pipe
Cannabis buds and pipe

How much is a pound of weed in 11 USA states

As you’ve seen, weight measurements and contributing factors are pretty crucial aspects when it comes to pricing. So, how much does a pound of weed cost? 

As of June 2021, the U.S. weighted average spot price for one pound of marijuana was $1,616. The average cost per lb was $1,982 for indoor, $1,377 for greenhouse, $901 for outdoor, $1,671 for medical, and $1,588 for recreational weed.

We’ve also sourced the latest available data for 11 states in the table below. Keep in mind that the presented pound of weed prices are only estimated averages.

All figures were calculated by combining medicinal and recreational marijuana costs as voluntarily reported by buyers in their respective states.

State

Average dispensary 

pound of weed price

Average street 

pound of weed price

Low quality

Medium quality

High quality

Low quality

Medium quality

High quality

Arizona

$1833.33

$1,600.00

$2,000.00

$1,150.00

$1,980.00

$2,108.65

California

$1,672.22

$1,472.24

$2,041.42

$1,565.51

$1,598.53

$1,967.31

Colorado

$2,653.50

$1,593.75

$1,787.35

$2,500.00

$1,533.33

$1,792.50

Louisiana

Unprocessed weed not permitted

$2,150

$2,000.00

$1,663.33

Massachusetts

$3,550.00

$1,925.00

$2,037.50

$1,800.00

$1,600.00

$2,694.38

Michigan

$1,900.00

$1,575.00

$2,348.28

$800.00

$1,920.00

$2,270.78

New York

$1,000.00

$1,800.00

$2,100.00

$1,500.00

$2,395.51

$2,662.97

Ohio

No data

No data

$2,100.00

$1,810.71

$2,067.50

$2,347.50

Oregon

$1,000.00

$1,150.00

$1,850.00

$1,500.00

$1,725.00

$1,690.00

Texas

No dispensaries established

$1,767.19

$2,075.96

$1,984.34

Washington

No data

$2,166.67

$1,600.00

No data

$933.33

$1,850.00

Grow your own pound of marijuana

Now that you know how much it is for a pound of weed, you may be considering growing your own stash. While personal marijuana plants are legal in several states, there’s often a limit to how many crops you’re allowed to cultivate.

Luckily, with a few tips and tricks, you can harvest your own 1lb of weed. You can even learn how to grow a one-pound plant. Here are a few pointers to get you started:

  • Choose carefully: First, you’ll need premium quality weed seeds, like the ones you’ll find at our Homegrown Store. Select high-yielding strains for maximum results. Some options include Rainbow Zest, Disco Bizkit, and Candy Kush.
  • Grow indoors: An indoor setup is more controlled, making it easier to harvest a pound of weed. A hydroponic or soilless medium like coco generally produces better yields than soil. 
  • Avoid overcrowding: If you want that 1lb of weed, make sure your plants have ample space to grow. Use bigger pots, and don't let your crops touch each other.
  • Ditch fluorescent bulbs: T5 and CFL bulbs tend to reduce yields. Stick to HPS, LEDs, or CMH/LEC grow lights for that pound of marijuana. You can estimate your yield at 0.5–1 gram per watt, so a 300W LED produces 150–300 grams of weed.
  • Adjust the light schedule: When your crop is about half its full size, changing the light schedule to 12/12 maximizes growth, taking you closer to that 1lb of weed yield.
  • Use pruning and training techniques: The Screen of Green (ScrOG) method, Low-stress Training (LST), lollipopping, pruning, and topping your plants all boost growth. Use these techniques consistently, and you’ll grow pounds of weed in no time.
Multiple buds of weed
Multiple buds of weed

Key Takeaways

The cannabis industry is booming, and more than half the U.S. population favors marijuana legalization. As a new kind of “Reefer Madness” emerges, the ever-changing pound of weed price is a valuable indicator of current trends and future possibilities.

Not only does it help determine what you’re paying by the gram, but it’s also a useful factor for wholesalers, street dealers, and even lawmakers. Typically rounded off to 16 ounces, one pound of weed currently costs an average of $1,616 in the U.S.

Of course, prices around the country vary widely, depending on factors like bud quality, taxes, restrictions, competition, supply, and demand. 

So, how much is a pound of marijuana in your neighborhood? If it’s too pricey, it may be time to grow your own stash. You can start by choosing top-shelf, high-yielding cannabis seeds from our Homegrown Store.

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