The Cost of Marijuana Over Time

At American Addiction Centers, we like to keep an eye on substances, like drugs and alcohol, and how they change over time. Any change, such as price, potency, and distribution, can have lasting effects on the public. For example, marijuana prices frequently fluctuate, but since marijuana has become legalized for recreational use in many states in the past few years, prices may be making more permanent changes.

US Marijuana Statistics

With this in mind, we decided to chart the cost of both high-quality and medium-quality marijuana in each state from 2010 to 2019 to see how prices have changed over time.

We found a user-submitted database of pricing information for medium- and high-quality marijuana and used digital archive tools to find what the prices were in the past. We then compiled all of that data together to create the interactive map seen above, which allows users to choose marijuana quality as well as a specific year and then see what the price of marijuana was across the country at that time. Clicking on individual states will give users a deeper look at marijuana data in that state, including how marijuana prices have changed there over time.

Based on our findings, every state except for Alaska has seen a decrease in the price of high-quality marijuana from 2010 to 2019. The states with the highest decreases were Georgia and Minnesota. Minnesota, which had the largest decrease in price, went from $447.56 per ounce in 2010 to $279.92 per ounce in 2019, which is a decrease of over 37%. Georgia had the second-highest decrease in high-quality marijuana price per ounce – by 2019, the price had decreased by more than 30%. Alaska was the only state that had an increase in the price of high-quality marijuana from 2010 to 2019, where the price rose just 2.81%.

The prices of medium quality marijuana across each state had a larger array of change than high-quality marijuana did. The states were nearly split in half, with 23 states experiencing an increase of price per ounce from 2010 to 2019 and the remaining states experiencing a decrease of price per ounce from 2010 to 2019.

The states with the most dramatic price increases were Oklahoma and Kansas. The price of medium quality marijuana in Oklahoma rose over 232% from 2010 to 2019 from just $80 per ounce to $266 per ounce. Kansas also had a large increase in price. In 2010, the price per ounce in Kansas was $88.33 per ounce, and by 2019, the price rose to $284 per ounce, which is an increase of over 221%.

Addicted to Marijuana?

As states continue to change the laws surrounding the use of recreational marijuana, it’s likely that these prices will also continue to change. Speaking of change, a great place to start if you want to change your life and recover from addiction is the Laguna Treatment Center. If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, don’t hesitate to take the first steps to recovery by getting help now, or call us at (855) 266-3365.