New Jersey weed prices for medical and adult-use cannabis flower remain at luxurious levels in licensed dispensaries.
My ongoing survey of nearly 130 online menus was performed again on August 7th, tailored to look for the absolute lowest cost for flower, including the lowest cost for a full ounce.
View the full survey here with this LINK.
Cannabis Prices Analysis
More retail locations are open in NJ. So, I’ve included nearly a dozen new dispensaries in this update. The prices reflected do not include sales taxes or ‘first visit’ discounts.
Consumers seeking the highest quality products still have to throw down $45-$75 for just one 1/8th of an ounce or 3.5 grams. For comparison, the average price for an entire case of beer (12x12oz cans) is just $20.
There was a scattering of a few better deals on some 1/8ths between $27-$35 for full-size flower and small buds.
Independent Operators and Large MSOs Progress on Prices
Overall, there wasn’t a huge selection on the individual menus or throughout the market. It hearkens back more than a decade of supply problems in NJ’s medical marijuana program with many of the same wholesale MSO operators of today. Currently, the largest flower menu has more than 100 options. The most limited had just five choices.
Some of the smaller independent growers that are not large corporate Multi-State Operators (MSOs) are becoming more widely available. But their products are often priced at the most premium level. Some good news: Garden Greens, one of those non-MSO sources, was actually the most affordable option on a number of menus during this survey.
Cheaper Ground/Shake Flower
Another noticeable difference is a new-to-NJ brand called “The Lid” from the small MSO Bango/Elyon that appears to be exclusively ground/shake products. These now have the lowest price point yet of $100-$120 per ounce.
While ground/shake flower is often less potent than flower and even lower quality, it’s an easy and often cheap option.
I’m definitely the kind of consumer who’s happy to score an ounce of decent ground flower, and then roll many joints. But brands of ground/shake stuff are often totally hit-or-miss. Some are always dry, flavorless, harsh-smoking. It can be like a fine powder. While other brands can often be full of very nice, fragrant miniature nugs. Most of it is a middle-of-the-road weed, perfect for any given Tuesday.
The most ubiquitous ground/shake is Ascend’s “Simply Herb” brand which is the lowest-cost option on dozens of menus. Yet it still costs between $8-$10 per gram. That is actually a ridiculously high price compared to other states.
A quick look at seven corporate MSO brands that operate in New Jersey and Pennsylvania reveals that they are still somehow charging registered patients in NJ about double the price for similar products.
View the full NJ/PA comparison here.
There is a bill now active in both the NJ Senate and Assembly that would allow the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission (NJCRC) to impose price caps on individual operators. Regulators could utilize the price caps to protect consumers, patients, and the legal marketplace.
New Jersey Weed Price Issues Remain
While some lower-priced options are becoming available, New Jersey’s regulated cannabis prices remain extremely hyper-inflated. Thus, it’s likely that New Jersey weed prices will see a naturally downward decline to adjust to align with regional and national levels eventually.
Finally, many of the retail dispensaries are offering home delivery. Yes, you can order weed and get it like a pizza (almost). And most of the delivery is being billed as free, usually with a minimum order of $50-$75. This could be the start of the biggest shift in NJ’s adult-use cannabis landscape.
Order online, stand in line, get a sealed packet handed over a counter, and pay. Many folks are likely happy to cut out the trip and get delivery. Some New Jersey cannabis dispensaries are offering a wide range too. For example, Camden Apothecary in the City of Camden is promoting deliveries all the way across the state to the Jersey Shore.
Since so many New Jersey towns decided to restrict steeply or outright ban cannabis retail stores, the delivery model could end up being a massive sector of the local market.
New Jersey’s working-class cannabis consumers are still waiting for fair prices and real access to the best quality products.
BY Chris Goldstein
Chris Goldstein is a writer based in New Jersey. For the last 25 years, he’s been a cannabis consumer activist. Today, he’s a regional organizer in NJ, PA, and DE for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
From 2005 to 2008, Chris hosted National NORML’s weekly and daily audio podcasts that were top-ranked on iTunes. From 2012 to 2019, he wrote a dedicated weekly column on cannabis for the Philadelphia Inquirer called “Philly420,” and he also created the “Marijuana in the News” class at Temple University’s journalism department.
Goldstein formerly served on the Board of Directors at PhillyNORML, NORML NJ, Pennsylvanians for Medical Marijuana (PA4MMJ), and the Coalition for Medical Marijuana New Jersey (CMMNJ).
Chris has worked on legislative and ballot efforts at the municipal, state and federal levels. He helped write Philadelphia’s landmark 2014 ordinance decriminalizing cannabis, and in 2022, he received one of President Joe Biden’s pardons for federal marijuana possession, leading to a roundtable discussion in 2024 at the White House with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Threads: https://www.threads.net/@chrisgoldstein420
Twitter: https://twitter.com/freedomisgreen
