In this article, we are going to discuss the 5 states with the highest weed consumption in the US. If you want to check out our detailed analysis of the cannabis industry in the United States and the rapidly expanding cannabis-infused beverages segment, head to 20 States with the Highest Weed Consumption in the US.
5. Washington
Prevalence of Marijuana Use: 21.07%
Reaffirming the importance of the medicinal benefits of marijuana, a new law recently took effect in Washington removing the requirement for patients with a medical cannabis card to pay the 37% excise tax, reportedly the highest cannabis tax in the country. The Evergreen State collected $465 million in excise taxes alone from the sale of weed products in fiscal year 2023.
With an average price per ounce of around $234 for high-quality weed, Washington is included among the States with the Cheapest Weed in America.
4. New Mexico
Prevalence of Marijuana Use: 21.33%
The first licensed sales of recreational cannabis in New Mexico began on April 1, 2022, and it was announced in March this year that the state’s cannabis industry has already crossed the billion-dollar mark. As one of the Best States to be A Stoner, NM’s cannabis industry also receives a massive boost from the huge influx of tourists coming in from the bordering state of Texas, where recreational weed is still outlawed.
3. Oregon
Prevalence of Marijuana Use: 21.84%
Weed prices have been reduced by more than half since adult-use marijuana became legal in Oregon back in 2015. Cannabis grows abundantly in the Beaver State, with farmers harvesting 9.6 million pounds in 2023, and since the drug remains prohibited under federal law and can’t be sold legally across state lines, the supply and demand of the product are far from balanced. Cannabis prices remained severely depressed in Oregon as a result of the oversupply issues, under $4 a gram for 11 consecutive months as of March 2024.
2. Alaska
Prevalence of Marijuana Use: 21.93%
Alaska’s marijuana tax, levied at the wholesale level, is the highest in the country. As a result, the black market still accounts for nearly 62% of the overall cannabis sales in The Last Frontier. The state’s cannabis industry is saying that a change in the tax rates is desperately needed to help legal marijuana businesses compete with the illicit market.
1. Vermont
Prevalence of Marijuana Use: 24.18%
With nearly a quarter of its residents aged 12 or older having used cannabis within the past month, Vermont takes the title of the Most Stoned State in America. Recreational sales of cannabis commenced in October 2022 and the industry had already reported just under $120 million in taxable sales by the end of 2023. In its first year of operation, the state’s Cannabis Control Board licensed over 300 cultivators, with a vast majority of them being small tier-one classifications.
If you want to read about which other states love their ganja, here is our complete list of the 20 States with the Highest Weed Consumption in the US.
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