The average US retail price of cannabis flower was $8.92 per gram in 2025, down from $9.40 in 2024. Prices range from $3.80/gram in Michigan (cheapest) to $15.80/gram in Illinois (most expensive) — a 4× spread driven by state tax rates, license caps, and market maturity. The state-level tables below answer how much legal cannabis costs in every adult-use state, which state has the cheapest legal cannabis, what a typical dispensary transaction looks like, how average order value varies by product category, and how US retail cannabis prices compare to Canada and the illicit market.
Short answer
The average US retail price of cannabis flower is $8.92 per gram in 2025. Michigan is cheapest ($3.80/g) and Illinois is most expensive ($15.80/g). Average wholesale price is approximately $1,180/pound.
$8.92US avg retail price per gramCannabis Benchmarks 2025
License caps — New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and Massachusetts limit retail licenses, preventing price competition. Open-licensing states (MI, OR, OK, CO, NM) have the most competitive retail pricing.
Supply chain maturity — Brand-new adult-use states pay premiums until local cultivation scales. Ohio retail prices fell 20% in 2025 as cultivation came online; New York prices are still 30% above the national average three years after launch.
Average Basket Size and Order Value
The average US cannabis retail transaction is $64.80, per Headset 2025. Order values vary significantly by product category:
Concentrates: $86.50 average order (highest)
Vapor pens: $78.40 average
Flower: $45.20 average
Pre-rolls: $41.30 average
Edibles: $34.70 average
Beverages: $22.80 average (lowest)
Frequently Asked Questions
Q.How much does cannabis cost in 2025?
The average US retail price of cannabis flower is $8.92 per gram in 2025, per Cannabis Benchmarks. Prices vary dramatically by state — from $3.80/g in Michigan to $15.80/g in Illinois — depending on tax rates, license caps, and market maturity.
Q.Which state has the cheapest cannabis?
Michigan has the cheapest legal cannabis in the US at an average of $3.80 per gram in 2025. Its low prices reflect one of the lowest effective cannabis tax burdens in the country (16%, per our tax hub), an uncapped retail license count, and strong in-state cultivation capacity. Oregon ($4.20/g), Colorado ($5.20/g), Oklahoma ($5.60/g) round out the cheapest states.
Q.Which state has the most expensive cannabis?
Illinois has the most expensive legal cannabis at an average $15.80 per gram, driven by a potency-based cultivation privilege tax, retail excise, and tight retail license caps (combined effective rate 19–41%, per our tax hub). Hawaii ($15.50/g), New Hampshire ($15.20/g), New Jersey ($14.80/g) also charge premium prices.
Q.Why does cannabis cost so much more in some states?
Three factors drive cannabis price variance: taxation (per our tax hub, combined effective rates run 27–38% in California, 43–47% in Washington, and 19–41% in Illinois), license caps (New York and New Jersey limit retail licenses, reducing competition), and supply chain maturity (brand-new markets pay import-style premiums until local cultivation scales). Mature states with open licensing (MI, OR, OK, CO) have the lowest prices.
Q.What is the average wholesale price of cannabis?
The US Spot Index wholesale price averaged roughly $1,180 per pound of flower in 2025 — down from $1,450 in 2024 and historic highs above $2,000 in 2016. Wholesale prices have compressed every year since 2021 due to oversupply in mature states (CA, OR, CO, MI).
Q.Do cannabis prices go up or down over time?
Cannabis retail prices have trended down year-over-year since 2020 in mature markets, as cultivation efficiency, competition, and biological limits on demand elasticity drive wholesale prices lower. Prices in new adult-use states typically spike at launch, then normalize toward the national average within 2-3 years as supply scales.
Sources: Cannabis Benchmarks 2025 US Spot Index, Headset retail analytics, state regulator pricing reports.
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Data & accuracy: Statistics on this page are estimates compiled from third-party and government sources and are provided as-is, without warranty of accuracy or completeness. Figures change over time — verify against the cited primary sources before relying on them.
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