Legal recreational marijuana sales started in Washington State about three months ago. Anyone who has bought marijuana at a recreational marijuana store has probably suffered from sticker shock. As recently as last week, prices for one gram of legal marijuana were as high as $38, and the amount of strains available were limited. That seems to be changing now, as more growers are harvesting and many strains have lowered to $20 per gram. One store, Main Street Marijuana in Vancouver, is at capacity for product. Per The Columbian:
Ramsey Hamide grinned as he leaned back in his chair, looking out at piles of palm-sized plastic bags stacked in containers in the back room at Main Street Marijuana.
For the first time since the store he manages opened three months ago, Hamide found himself in an entirely unfamiliar situation. With two safes bulging and a table packed with product awaiting sale, Hamide couldn’t accept any more product. In fact, on that Wednesday afternoon last week, he found himself turning some growers down.
“We’re pretty much at capacity on what we can store here,” Hamide said. “We’re full. I can’t take anything more until we sell this.”
I hope to see prices continue to drop. In order for marijuana legalization to work, it has to do what supporters have always claimed – limit the black market. However, at $38 per gram, or even $20 per gram, that’s not going to happen. Hopefully price gouging is a thing of the past in Washington. If not soon, Washington stores may be forced to do so if/when Oregon legalizes marijuana. Oregon is projected to sell marijuana at $5 per gram.
