Just over half a year into legalization, we can get a better picture of how Canada’s regulatory stance on marijuana has affected the industry.
For example, how the price of pot has changed since October 17th, 2018.
According to a recent report by Statistics Canada, the price of marijuana overall – purchased both legally and illegally – has increased around 17 per cent since legalization. Prior to legalization, Canadians were paying $6.79 per gram on average. Now, the average price is $8.04 a gram ($9.99 a gram from legal sources).
There is also a significant disparity in price depending on your source. Those who purchase their bud from a government-sanctioned seller pay almost 60 per cent more for their high than those who shop the black market.
The stats on how much Canadians are paying for “illegal” weed was voluntarily submitted during ongoing surveys conducted by Statistics Canada.
Just as the price of marijuana varied between provinces before legalization, weed has increased in price at different rates after legalization.
While not much has changed in B.C., which saw a 3.7 per cent increase in price per gram, cannabis costs 30 per cent more in New Brunswick today than it did last summer. Here’s how that trend looks across the country (infographic by the CBC):
Source: CBC
Of course, price talk is probably secondary to the real question: is weed better now than it was before?