News

The high stakes of pot prices

Published on October 22, 2018 by David Wylie

When we first clicked on the BC Cannabis Store, we definitely suffered a bit of sticker shock.

In pre-legalization times, a gram typically cost around $6-$12, with 3.5 grams ranging between $20-$40 around the Okanagan.

Some bud can be found in that range through the government store. Many other products are pricier, especially with shipping and tax.

Take Northern Lights, for example. It runs $13.99 a gram and $45.99 for 3.5 grams — plus GST and PST. Add on the $10 shipping fee, and suddenly thoughts turn to other possible hookups.

The most expensive strains currently cost about $55 for an eighth (3.5 grams) before taxes. They include BC Atomical Haze and BC Lemon Thai Kush from Flowr. (Granted, both look worth trying.)

Too high?

Some have wondered what might influence the retail habits of cannabis consumers. According to one poll, four out of 10 Canadians said price would factor into where they would buy pot.

Canada’s minister of organized crime reduction, Bill Blair, says there is “acknowledgment” among key stakeholders that price point will correlate with retail success. Well, duh.

“We have to be competitive with the illicit market — competitive not just in price but in quality, choice and in access,” said Blair.

The added challenge is “organized crime doesn’t share its spreadsheets and sales data.”

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Photo: BC Atomical Haze, with its kiwi aromatics and spicy haze flavour, will make your head — and your wallet — feel waaaaaaay lighter.