Cannabis Fair Price Calculator
Is this dispensary deal actually good? Compare your price per gram to California wholesale benchmarks plus a standard 2× markup and ~30% combined excise + sales tax. Updated for licensed Inland Empire shops.
Dispensary paid ~$8.75 for this 3.5g. A standard 2× markup + 30% tax puts fair retail at $22.75 ($6.50/g). You're paying $20.00 — that's a 2.3× markup on wholesale before tax.
How fair price is calculated
California licensed dispensaries buy flower from distributors at wholesale prices that typically run $1.70/g for value, $2.25–$2.75/g for mid-shelf, and $3.40/g+ for indoor top shelf. A standard retail markup is 2× wholesale. California then layers a 15% state cannabis excise tax plus local sales tax (often ~10%) — roughly a 30% combined load on top of retail. Fair retail per gram = wholesale × 2 × 1.30.
This calculator is an independent consumer tool. We accept no money from dispensaries for rankings or placement. Benchmarks are reviewed against current public California wholesale market reporting and are updated as market conditions shift.
Common questions
- What is a fair price for an eighth of cannabis in California?
- For mid-shelf flower, wholesale runs roughly $2.25–$2.75/g, so a fair retail eighth (3.5g) after a standard 2× dispensary markup plus ~30% combined California excise + sales tax lands around $20–$25. Value-tier eighths can be fair at $15–$18; indoor top-shelf can fairly reach $30–$40.
- How much markup do California dispensaries take?
- Licensed California dispensaries typically apply a 2× markup on wholesale, then add the 15% state cannabis excise tax plus local sales tax (often ~10%), for a combined ~30% tax load on top of retail.
- What counts as fresh cannabis flower?
- Under 30 days from package or harvest date is considered super fresh. 30–90 days is still good. Past 6 months, terpenes degrade noticeably and the flower is considered old.