By Luke Sumpter

How much do you pay for a gram of weed? Depending on where you live in the world, your answer to this question might differ massively from others. On top of this, weed prices in a given state or country are subject to change depending on the local economy and other factors. Below, you’re going to discover the average prices for a gram of weed across the planet, from Tokyo to Zimbabwe.


What Is the Average Price of Weed?

If you’ve travelled much, you’ll know that the prices of basic items and services, from food to transport, can vary considerably depending on a country’s economy. Take a cup of coffee, for example. In Denmark, you can expect to shell out 40.25 Danish krone (€5.40) for a regular cappuccino, whereas the same drink will cost you just €1.60 in Italy.

The same principle applies to cannabis. The cost of a gram of weed ebbs and flows within specific countries, and between nations, depending on a host of different variables. Production costs, supply and demand, inflation, legality, and other factors all influence the price of cannabis. So, while we can't give an overarching answer to this question, we can provide the average costs in specific countries.

Average price of weed

What Affects the Price of Weed?

Cannabis is yet to have the status of a commodity. Unlike raw materials such as gold, rubber, and oil, and agricultural products including corn, wheat, and coffee, cannabis lacks the standardisation required to make it interchangeable with other goods and therefore tradable on exchanges. While groups such as ASTM International are working on the standardisation of hemp and cannabis, factors that influence the price of commodities also apply to the cost of weed. The primary variables that influence the price of a gram of marijuana include:

Production costs
The expenses linked to the cultivation, processing, and distribution of cannabis all impact its local price. Factors including labour, equipment, and utilities such as water and energy all play a role. Compliance with local regulations can also increase the costs of production.
Supply and demand
The fundamental economic theory of supply and demand dictates that the availability of a product, and its appeal to consumers, directly impacts the price. The supply of cannabis is often higher in countries without prohibition, resulting in lower costs. Environmental factors such as drought and crop diseases also reduce the supply of weed and increase its price.
Economic environment
Economic conditions, such as inflation and exchange rates, and the strength of the local currency, can also impact the cost of marijuana. Strong economies are often linked with higher prices, whereas weaker economies with less circulating money force sellers to lower their prices.
Legalization, taxes, and regulation
In countries and states that have legalized cannabis, local authorities impose a tax in order to increase revenue and regulate products. These fees influence the retail price for the consumer.
Prohibition
Cannabis prohibition gives rise to black markets that set the price for a gram of marijuana. Economic factors such as cultivation, labour, and distribution play a role. However, prices are often raised artificially because of the added risk of prosecution. Black market prices are also higher because of a general lack of supply compared to flourishing legal economies.

Where Is Marijuana Cheapest in the World?

The cannabis industry continues to grow from strength to strength. Its current global value of $64.7 billion in 2024 is predicted to swell to $75 billion by 2029. This growth has equated to surges in supply in some areas, resulting in decreased prices. However, countries affected by prohibition sometimes enjoy cheaper weed, partly because taxes and expensive regulatory procedures that raise costs aren’t in place.

Assessing the costs of cannabis across the world proves a tricky task. Thankfully, the Cannabis Global Price Index of 2023[2] has provided a clear picture of the least expensive and most expensive locations to buy cannabis. This data set collates prices from 140 cities worldwide using crowdsourced city-level polls, adjusted to data from the UNODC World Drug Report 2022, to figure out the average price per gram. Continue reading to discover the cheapest weed in Europe, the United States, Africa, and Asia.

Europe

Cannabis prices in Europe are, on average, much more expensive than elsewhere in the world. While recreational cannabis remains largely illegal, production costs and demand are elevated. However, some countries stand out as exceptions to the rule. While recreational cannabis is not legal in Spain, the country has decriminalised cultivation for personal use. This has caused an increase in supply, while the option to grow at home has decreased the demand for black market cannabis. Go to Madrid and you can expect to pay just €6.33 for a gram of weed.

The United Kingdom ranks as the second-cheapest location for cannabis in Europe. The herb remains illegal to cultivate, yet supply is high, with an annual black market worth around £2.6 billion[3]. The city of Chesterfield has the lowest price of £5.81 per gram, followed by Erdington at £5.89 per gram, and Yeovilton at £5.96 per gram.

Slovenia comes in third place regarding the cheapest weed in Europe. Medical cannabinoid products are legal in the country, and the government has decriminalised the personal use of cannabis. A gram of weed will set you back €8.47 in the capital of Ljubljana and €8.57 in the second-largest city of Maribor.

USA

While cannabis is federally prohibited in the United States, sweeping cannabis legalization at the state level has resulted in a surge in both supply and demand. With a predicted market value of $45 billion[4] by 2025, the emerging cannabis industry in the country has received huge amounts of investment and created countless jobs. While cannabis remains fairly expensive in some states, it has some of the cheapest prices in the world in others.

As the ninth-cheapest destination in the world to buy weed, you can grab a gram in the city of Portland, Oregon for just $7—sometimes even less! Denver, Colorado, ranks as the second cheapest city for weed, where a gram will cost you $7.80. In third place, weed users in Los Angeles, California, can procure a gram at their local dispensary for as little as $8.30.

Asia & Africa

Cannabis prices in Asia are some of the highest in the world, whereas the herb costs almost nothing in some African nations. In both Zambia and Malawi, low demand and production costs mean a gram will have set you back just $0.2[5] in 2019. Prices are slightly higher in Ghana ($0.8) and Zimbabwe ($1).

Prices of cannabis in Asia are generally much lower than in the West, but higher than those in Africa. A gram of weed in Jakarta, Indonesia, costs around $3.38. Weed prices in Thailand vary, with locally grown strains clocking in at an average of $9 per gram[6] and imported flowers at $4.50–5.30 per gram. Finally, Bangalore, India boasts cheap illegal weed priced at just $6 per gram.

Where is cannabis cheaper

Where Is Marijuana Most Expensive in the World?

On the other side of the coin, market factors in certain countries and states have produced some of the most expensive weed in the world. But where would you find this costly chronic?

Europe

Europe generally has some of the most expensive cannabis prices in the world. Dublin, Ireland ranks as the second-most expensive location in the world to buy cannabis. In this city, where cannabis is illegal, you’ll have to shell out €20.95 ($22.50) for a gram.

Tallinn, the capital of the Baltic nation of Estonia, stands as the second-most expensive region for cannabis in Europe; expect to spend $20.60 on a gram.

In third place, citizens and visitors of Stavanger, Norway have to part with €19.39 to obtain a gram. Prices in the capital of Oslo aren’t far behind, coming in at €18.73 per gram.

USA

Paradoxically, the United States ranks as one of the most and least expensive places to buy cannabis; it all depends on the state economy. A gram of legal cannabis will cost you $19.10, $18.20, and $13 in Washington DC, Seattle, and New York, respectively.

Asia & Africa

Asia tops the charts when it comes to the most expensive places to buy weed. The illegal status of cannabis in Japan and its low supply mean that Tokyo has the highest marijuana prices in the world, clocking in at an eye-watering $33.80 for a single gram.

Cannabis use is decriminalised in Israel, but the country possesses over 137,000 members[7] in its medical cannabis programme. In the city of Rishon LeTsiyon, a gram of weed will set you back around $21. In the Turkish city of Uskudar, a gram of illegal cannabis costs $16.30.

On the African continent, Lesotho sits in first place when it comes to the priciest weed, with one gram costing $11.90. South Africa sits in second place with a cost of $8.50 per gram. In third place, an average gram of cannabis in Morocco sells for $8.17. These prices are cheap compared to Western countries, but much higher than those in Zambia and Malawi.

Where is cannabis more expensive

How Has Legalization Affected Weed Prices?

Overall, cannabis legalization has affected weed prices in a way that benefits consumers. The data shows that legalization correlates to an average price per gram drop of 11.13%. Many variables increase the price of cannabis in legal markets, but a surge in supply certainly plays an important role. Demand for cannabis also increases the supply, oftentimes to a surplus, causing prices to drop. Indeed, countries with a high cannabis consumption rate are 30% more likely to experience low gram prices.

Black Market Weed Prices

Black markets have an impact on the price of weed in both legal states and countries as well as those still under prohibition. In legal countries, black market operatives strategically undercut the price of their lawful competitors, making their products more attractive to consumers. Plus, they can afford to charge lower prices because they don’t pay taxes, licensing fees, or adhere to regulations. This can cause legal outlets to lower their prices in response.

Unregulated black market growing and distribution operations are typically large, allowing operatives to benefit from economies of scale, the reduction in per-unit costs achieved by increased output, allowing them to offer lower prices. On top of this, they also profit from cross-border trafficking. Producing in areas with lower production costs results in cheaper weed. Purchasing cannabis in a state with low gram prices also drives some black marketeers to resell these products at a profit in states with a higher cost per gram.

Finally, the lack of quality control allows black market growers to save a lot of cash during cultivation. Using banned agricultural chemicals and syphoning off the energy grid drastically cut production costs.

Black market weed

How Much Does Weed Cost Where You Live?

As you can see, weed prices vary drastically across different countries. But borders aren’t the only factor that causes cannabis costs to fluctuate. Everything from the ebbs and flows of supply and demand to poor growing seasons impact the price of a gram of weed. So, how do things look where you live? Share with us whether you benefit from low cannabis prices or are subject to some of the highest costs in the world of weed!

External Resources:
  1. https://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/country_price_rankings?itemId=114
  2. This Is How Much Weed Costs in 140 Cities Across the World https://cfah.org
  3. UK’s illicit cannabis market worth £2.5bn a year, finds new report — Institute of Economic Affairs https://iea.org.uk
  4. Cannabis sales projections for US markets in 2025 https://www.headset.io
  5. Average cost per gram of cannabis, by country Africa 2019 | Statista https://www.statista.com
  6. play https://www.aljazeera.com
  7. Reforms Set to Send Israeli Medical Cannabis Patient Numbers Soaring https://prohibitionpartners.com
Disclaimer:
This content is for educational purposes only. The information provided is derived from research gathered from external sources.

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Privacy Policy - Royal Queen Seeds

To ensure a safe online environment and guarantee adequate data protection, we strictly comply with all legal requirements. In this privacy statement, we provide information about how and for what purpose data is collected, safety measures, storage periods and contact details.


COMPANY NAME: SNORKEL SPAIN, SL (hereinafter ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS)

C/ Vilar d'Abdelà, 5 (nave 1) CP: 08170 de Montornès del Vallès

+34 937 379 846

support@royalqueenseeds.com


The present Privacy Policy sets out the terms on which we will treat personal data at ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS; this includes any personal data collected through our website https://www.royalqueenseeds.com/ as well as any other data we process in the course of our business activities.

ROYAL QUEEN SEEDS collects the following personal data for the purposes listed below:

SECTION 1 – PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

1.1 Account purchases

Account purchases can only be made if you are in possession of a personal account. When you create an account or purchase something from our shop, as part of the buying and selling process we collect the following personal information that you provide to us:

This information is required for delivery. In addition, when you browse our shop, we automatically receive the Internet Protocol (IP) address of your computer. Based on this information, we can optimise your online experience and at the same time protect our online environment.

Purpose of data collection

We collect and store account-related data for the following purposes:

(a) to carry out obligations arising from any contracts between you and us, and to provide you with information, products and services that you may request from us;

(b) to set up, manage and communicate with you about your account and your orders;

(c) to conduct market research and analysis;

(d) to confirm your age and identity, and to detect and prevent fraud.

1.2 Newsletters

With your explicit permission, we may send you newsletters about our shop, new products and other updates. We send newsletters based on your explicit consent. In the event that you purchase a product, and in accordance with current regulations, we may send you commercial communications in accordance with the legitimate interest of our company, always about products or services similar to those you have purchased or contracted. In any case, you may exercise your right of opposition through the channels announced in this Privacy Policy. The following information is collected in relation to the newsletter:

We do not need to know the sex of the person in order to send the newsletter (data minimisation: by law we must ask for data that is strictly necessary to provide the service, and in this case knowing the sex is not necessary to send the newsletter).

Purpose of data collection

The data collected is used to:

(a) personalise our emails, including your name and gender;

(b) provide gender-specific content.

You can withdraw your consent at any time by using the link provided in the newsletter or the contact information provided in section 2.

1.3 Customer service and contact form

In order to provide appropriate support, our customer service employees have access to information related to the account. Consequently, their support will be highly effective and friendly. The data provided in our contact form is used by our CRM provider, SuperOffice. We will only use your details to respond to your message.

SECTION 2 – LEGITIMATE INTEREST

If you have purchased any of our products, please note that we may process your personal data for promotional purposes, based on Royal Queen Seeds' legitimate interest only to offer you products or services from our company and about products or services similar to those you have purchased. You may exercise your right to opt out of future messages by the means set out in this Privacy Policy or through any notification you receive.

2.1 How do you withdraw consent?

If you change your mind, you can withdraw your consent for us to contact you for the purpose of collecting, using, or disclosing your data at any time by reaching out to us at: support@royalqueenseeds.com.

SECTION 3 – DISCLOSURE

We may disclose your personal information if we are required to do so by law or if you breach our Terms of Service.

SECTION 4 – HOW LONG DO WE KEEP YOUR DATA?

At Royal Queen Seeds, we will not retain your data for longer than is necessary for the purposes described in this Policy. Different retention periods apply for different types of data; however, the longest period we will normally hold any personal data is 10 years.

4.1 Account information

Data relating to the account remains relevant for as long as the consumer is in possession of an account. Therefore, the data remains documented for as long as the account exists. When our customers delete an account, the associated data will be deleted within a reasonable period of time. Requests regarding the inspection or correction of stored personal data or the deletion of an account can be sent to support@royalqueenseeds.com.

4.2 Newsletters

In the event that you give us your consent to inform you about our products or services, we will keep your data until you express your wish not to receive any further communications from us. However, we regularly (every month) carry out a relevance check. Registered customers (and their personal information) will be deleted whenever customers do not reply to our request. In addition, our newsletter mailing has an opt-out feature. Consumers can withdraw their consent by using this opt-out feature.

SECTION 5 – COOKIES

Cookies are small information files that notify your computer of previous interactions with our website. These cookies are stored on your hard drive, not on our website. Essentially, when you use our website, your computer displays its cookies to us, informing our site that you have visited before. This allows our website to function more quickly and remember aspects related to your previous visits (such as your username), making your experience more convenient. At Royal Queen Seeds, we use two types of cookies: functional and analytical.

5.1 Functional Cookies

Functional cookies are used to enhance your online experience. Among other things, these cookies track what is added to your shopping cart. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

5.2 Analytical Cookies

Analytical cookies are used for research and market analysis. The data collected with these analytical cookies is anonymous, making it unusable for third parties. The use of these cookies does not require prior authorization.

SECTION 5 – THIRD-PARTY SERVICES

Third-party services are required to conduct transactions and provide our services. In general, the third-party providers we use will only collect, use and disclose your information to the extent necessary to enable them to perform the services they provide to us.

However, certain third-party service providers, such as payment gateways and other payment transaction processors, have their own privacy policies regarding the information we must provide to them for your transactions.

We encourage you to read the privacy policies of these providers so that you can understand how these providers will handle your personal information.

In particular, certain suppliers may be located or have facilities located in a different jurisdiction than yours or ours. Therefore, if you choose to proceed with a transaction involving the services of a third party, your information may be subject to the laws of the jurisdiction in which that service provider or its facilities are located.

Once you leave our website or are redirected to a third-party website or application, you are no longer governed by this Privacy Policy or the Terms of Service of our website.

Web analytics service (anonymous data)

On this website we have integrated an element of a web analytics service (with anonymisation functionality). Web analytics can be defined as the gathering, processing and analysis of data about the behaviour of visitors to websites. An analytics service collects, among other things, data about which website a person came from (the so-called referrer), which sub-pages they visited or how often and for how long they visited a sub-page. Web analytics is mainly used for website optimisation and for a cost–benefit analysis of internet advertising.

Courier service

To complete deliveries we use a courier service. This courier service carries out the delivery between our company and the consumer's home. To complete these logistics, the company requires access to the consumer's name and address information.

Mailing service

Royal Queen Seeds uses a third-party mail service provider to send its newsletter. This provider has access to limited account information related to opt-in consent (e.g. email address).

Marketing services

Royal Queen Seeds has the support of a company that specialises in marketing and communication activities. Their access to personal information is very limited and mostly anonymous.

Payment services

At Royal Queen Seeds we use external payment services to handle our transactions (e.g. credit card payments).

SECTION 6 – SECURITY

To protect your personal information, we take reasonable precautions and follow industry standard best practices to ensure that it is not inappropriately lost, misused, accessed, disclosed, altered or destroyed.

If you provide us with your credit card information, the information is encrypted using secure socket layer technology (SSL) and stored using AES-256 encryption. Although no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, we follow all PCI-DSS requirements and implement additional industry standards that are commonly accepted. Information related to the account is protected with a hashing method. This method transforms the information into a generated hash. As a result, confidential information is protected and invisible, even to us. In addition, our databases are exceptionally protected against unauthorised access. For example, access to the database is only possible and permitted via approved IP addresses (e.g. from Royal Queen Seeds headquarters). Other attempts and addresses are rejected at all times.

Furthermore, data is anonymised as much as possible, so it cannot be directly linked to a specific consumer. With this data, however, we may be able to carry out market research and analysis. In addition, the third parties concerned (e.g. mailing service) are examined prior to our collaboration, comply with the GDPR from the EU and receive a processing agreement. Within Royal Queen Seeds, employees are assigned different access permissions. Specific permission provides access only to information that is strictly required to perform a task. Digital security measures are subject to change and must meet high requirements to ensure the safety of online customers. That is why, at Royal Queen Seeds, we appoint a security officer. Regular verification and improvement of security measures (where necessary) are part of the role.

SECTION 7 – CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY POLICY

We reserve the right to modify this Privacy Policy at any time, so please check back regularly. Changes and clarifications will be effective immediately upon being published on the Website. If we make substantial changes to this policy, we will notify you here that it has been updated so you will know what information we collect, how we use it and under what circumstances, if any, we use and/or disclose it.

SECTION 8 – YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO: