KANSAS CITY (AP) — Prices for medical marijuana have been dropping as more manufacturers, cultivators and dispensaries open.
Residents voted in 2018 to legalize medical cannabis. Since then, the state has licensed 193 dispensaries, 59 cultivators and 86 manufacturers, although not all of them are operating yet.
When the first dispensary in the Kansas City area opened in October, one eighth of an ounce of flower cost $60. Nearly 10 months later, the same product can be gotten for $40. Local dispensaries at first sold only flower. Now, they stock a variety of items, including edibles and cartridges.
“Certainly, we knew when stores opened here at the very beginning the prices were going to be higher, the selection was going to be more limited,” said Jack Cardetti, spokesman for the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association. “But with each coming week, we see those trends reversing.”
More efficient processes, more cultivators and more competition have all contributed to lower prices since the first manufacturer opened in Missouri.
Prices on some products are estimated to be 25% lower than when dispensaries first opened, said Bethanie White, director of marketing for Clovr, the first manufacturer to open in Missouri.