Minnesota Marijuana Prices Compared To Michigan

Last week was historic in Minnesota. For the first time ever, stores sold legal recreational marijuana to customers. Duluth's Legacy Cannabis was the first to open its doors to customers lining up along Superior Street. Next, Rise Cannabis in the Twin Cities Metro opened for adult recreational use.

It's been a painfully slow rollout since legalization was signed 2 and a half years ago. Some tribes in the state were able to grow and cultivate their own cannabis and began selling it first.

I visited one of the Native American dispensaries when they first started selling recreational cannabis. Until that point, the only dispensaries I ever visited were in Colorado, Michigan, or Arizona. I had a bit of sticker shock when I saw the prices.

Minnesota Prices

A preroll 1-gram joint was selling for $12-15. An eighth ounce of flower was selling for $40. A quarter ounce is about $80. So, if you want to go by what an ounce costs, it's about $320. Those prices seem to be the norm at the different dispensaries I've looked at in Minnesota. 

Michigan Prices

Michigan legalized a few years before Minnesota, and dispensaries started popping up in Ironwood, Michigan. It started out with one small renovated house right on the main road through town. Within just a couple of years, a half dozen more dispensaries opened in Ironwood, leading to competitive pricing.

Read More: Up to 10 More Wells Drilled In Minnesota After Major Discovery

Nearly every dispensary has sales, deals, specials, and bonus items to get you in the store. Some places offer free pre-rolls with a purchase. I've found ounces of flower online at dispensaries for as little as $45, however $80 is pretty common for an ounce in Michigan.

More Competition Will Bring Prices Down

It's all about economics. With only a few dispensaries offering recreational marijuana in Minnesota, the price will remain high. You can save some money by avoiding taxes at dispensaries on reservations, but that's a long drive for some people. Transporting marijuana from Michigan back to Minnesota is illegal, but that doesn't stop thousands of people from doing it every day.

I'm thrilled to have legalization in Minnesota and have options to buy. It's a good start, and I'll patiently continue to wait for more shops to open up.