Do the math on package size first
Price per gram is a ratio, not a shelf tag. The number moves with weight. A store that lists $12 per gram may sell an eighth (3.5 g) at $35, which is $10 per gram, and an ounce (28 g) at $180, which is $6.43 per gram. Ask for the per-gram rate on each size on the menu. Compare the same weight across two or three stores before you buy.
Pre-tax and post-tax numbers differ. State excise tax on cannabis runs from 10% in some markets to 37% in Washington. A $10 gram in Seattle comes to about $13.70 after excise, before local sales tax. Ask a budtender to quote the out-the-door total, or read the tax line at checkout.
Parameters to compare
- Weight: 1 g, 2 g, 3.5 g, 7 g, 14 g, 28 g. Larger packages carry lower per-gram rates.
- Tier: top cola, mids, popcorn, smalls, trim. Popcorn buds cost less per gram than top cola from the same harvest.
- Harvest date and package date. Flower loses moisture and terpenes over months in a jar.
- THC percentage. Mid-tier flower tests from 18% to 22% in most state markets. Labels above 28% cost more.
- Form: prepackaged jars against deli-style flower weighed in front of you.
- Tax rate, local fees, and card fees at the register.
- Delivery fee, order minimum, and driver tip.
Convenience has a per-gram cost
Delivery adds a flat fee and sometimes a minimum order. A $5 delivery fee on a 3.5 g order adds $1.43 per gram. Prepackaged jars save counter time and cost more than deli-style flower from the same grower in many stores. Reserve orders cut the wait and hold the listed price. Pickup at a store near you keeps the per-gram rate at the menu number.
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Pitfalls
- Menus that show a per-gram price before excise tax.
- Shake or trim sold at whole-flower prices. Ask for the package label.
- Discount jars with harvest dates older than six months.
- THC percentage as the only quality measure. Batch tests vary, and terpene content does not appear in the headline number.
- Delivery minimums that push a 3.5 g order into a 7 g or 14 g package.
- Daily deals that reset the tier. Verify the strain and the weight on the receipt.