Oregon Cannabis Prices Continue to Drop. Stores Are Plentiful Compared to Other States and Consumption is High.

State economist describes excellent conditions for consumers. For sellers, the news is not as rosy.

(Photo by LaToya Johnson)
By Nigel Jaquiss

Oregon is a good place to live if you like cannabis. Prices are dropping 10 to 20 percent a year; stores are far more plentiful than in other western states such as Washington and Colorado and there are plenty of people who partake.

Those are the takeaways from a new look at recreational cannabis from Josh Lehner, a state economist.

"Recreational marijuana prices are falling and, in much of the state, retail options are plentiful," Lehner writes. "It appears to be a cannabis consumer's dream, or at least what voters hoped for back in 2014 when Measure 91 was passed."

Lehner breaks industry conditions down into three helpful charts:

The first shows prices, which are declining:

The second shows the number of stores in Oregon, Washington and Colorado, which approved recreational marijuana two years before Oregon:

And the third shows consumption in the three western states and the U.S. overall:

"Conditions today are great for consumers, but potentially worrisome for some businesses," Lehner writes. "Our office's forecast expects sales to continue to increase due to both new customers as usage increases and social acceptance of marijuana rises over time, and due to black market conversion."

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