Price per milligram decides the buy

Single cans of THC drinks sell for $5 to $12 in state-licensed shops. A 12-ounce can with 5 mg of THC at $8 costs $1.60 per milligram. A 10 mg can at $9 costs $0.90 per milligram. Divide price by milligrams on the label before you compare two brands. The cheaper can can cost more per dose.

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Multipacks cut the per-can price. Four-packs run $18 to $40. Twelve-packs run $60 to $110. The discount holds when the pack uses the same formula and the same THC dose as the single can.

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Two supply chains, two price floors

Hemp-derived drinks and cannabis-derived drinks sit on the same shelf in some states. Hemp drinks come from the 2018 Farm Bill and sell in grocery and liquor stores in states that allow them. They cost less in most cases. Cannabis drinks come from state-licensed marijuana and carry a state symbol on the label. Read the label for the THC source and total THC per container.

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Compare these parameters

  • Total THC per container, in milligrams. Serving count per can.
  • Price per milligram. Price per can means little on its own.
  • Volume. 12 ounces is common. Some cans hold 8 ounces.
  • Taxes. California adds a 15% excise tax plus sales tax. Colorado adds a 15% state cannabis sales tax plus local taxes.
  • Deposit. Bottle-bill states add 5 or 10 cents per can.
  • Channel. Delivery prices and dispensary prices differ from liquor store prices for the same hemp SKU.
  • Date code. Emulsions separate over time. Buy the freshest can on the shelf.

Pitfalls

  1. Buying on can price. A $6 can with 2 mg is $3.00 per milligram. A $10 can with 10 mg is $1.00 per milligram.
  2. Mixing up serving caps. Colorado caps a serving at 10 mg. Minnesota caps hemp-derived products at 5 mg per serving and 50 mg per package. California caps a serving at 10 mg and a package at 100 mg.
  3. Treating drinks like beer. Onset runs 15 to 30 minutes. Peak runs 1 to 2 hours. Effects last 2 to 4 hours.
  4. Ignoring the package limit at checkout. One can with 100 mg is a multi-serving package in most states.
  5. Assuming lab testing. Hemp drinks face fewer test rules than cannabis drinks in many states. Ask for a certificate of analysis.

Before you pay

Do the math on price per milligram. Confirm the THC source and the state cap. Check the date code and the tax line at the register. Keep the receipt. Return rules differ by store and by state.

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