Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) published a new dataset, showing the price per gram of “usable cannabis” sold in the state’s adult-use cannabis and medical marijuana markets, according to a March 11 press release. 

The dataset’s category “usable cannabis” essentially means flower and includes raw flower in whole, ground, or pre-rolled form, without additional extracted materials.

Currently, a gram of cannabis in California is hovering around $12 per gram, which is slightly up from years prior. The Register Citizen reports that the average price per gram of cannabis in Connecticut has increased steadily for months since October 2023, when the cost of cannabis was at $9.68 per gram—its lowest since adult-use sales kicked off in the state. The price of flower in Connecticut has increased, going from an average of $11.93 per gram in January to $12.28 per gram in February. 

“In February, the average price per gram of usable cannabis was $12.28,” the announcement reads. “The new dataset includes data collected since the market opened in January 2023.”

According to High Times Trans-High Market Quotations in the March issue, which does not track the price per gram, the average price of an ounce across America was $296. This means that when you’re buying in bulk, the average price per gram dips to around $10.

The state recorded $15.6 million in adult-use cannabis sales during the month of February, plus an additional $9.4 million in medical cannabis sales, for a total of $25 million in total cannabis sales, state data shows. It represents a $2.6 million decrease in total cannabis sales from January, when sales were down $2.6 million from the previous month. 

The dataset was added as part of the Department’s monthly data release, which to date has included total retail sales, number of products sold, average product price, and types of products sold. The most recent data for each dataset have also been published in accordance with the Department’s monthly cannabis data schedule.

The data will continue to be updated monthly on or after the 10th of each month. Going forward, DCP will make announcements when new datasets have been made publicly available, and the DCP will no longer issue monthly press releases related to existing datasets.

Reporters and members of the public who are interested in new monthly data published to existing datasets should check ct.gov/cannabis monthly on the 10th or the first business day after the 10th of each month.

The data does not include taxes collected at the point of sale on adult-use transactions, and medical cannabis patients do not pay taxes.

Connecticut Doubles Limit on Cannabis Purchases

Last November, Connecticut regulators doubled the amount of adult-use cannabis consumers can purchase in a single transaction.

Connecticut’s cannabis regulatory agency announced an increase in the amount of cannabis that can be bought in a single transaction by doubling the state’s limit on recreational marijuana purchases. Under the new regulations approved by the DCP, adult-use cannabis consumers are permitted to purchase up to a half-ounce (about 14 grams) of cannabis flower or its equivalent beginning next month. 

The limit on purchases of medical marijuana has not been changed. It remains at 5 ounces of cannabis flower or the equivalent monthly, with no limits on purchases in a single transaction.

“DCP has continually reviewed available supply and demand since prior to the launch of the adult-use cannabis industry in January 2023,” DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli said in a statement from the agency. “As more retailers, production companies and other supply chain licensees have come online, the capacity of the industry has increased. We are confident this measured approach to adult-use sales has resulted in a healthy market for businesses, and a safe and fair marketplace for adult-use cannabis consumers and medical marijuana patients.”

Connecticut collects data through BioTrack, the state’s Seed-to-Sale Tracking System, a real-time inventory system used to track an individual cannabis plant from the point it is planted as a seed or clone to the point of sale.

All medical and adult-use cannabis licensees are required to input data into this system, showing the movement of cannabis products as they are grown, manufactured, tested, and ultimately sold. (Information about the person who purchases the final cannabis product is not recorded.) 

Connecticut officials record cannabis sales data every month, so you can map the steady march of adult-use cannabis sales by looking at month-to-month sales on one of their many graphics.

DCP does not make revenue projections, set sales expectations, collect taxes, nor do they regulate prices. The DCP also provides information to protect consumers from common scams and other threats.

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Using cannabis for pain relief is nothing new. Across the U.S., most states include chronic pain as a qualifying condition for medical cannabis.

Looking broader, individuals around the globe are already embracing cannabis for these pain-relieving qualities alongside the additional benefits it may offer. While we’re still learning exactly how cannabis can work to treat symptoms and provide relief for specific conditions, many are taking matters into their own hands with promising results — and these trends could very well help to shape further research and policy.

A recent survey published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology took a closer look at symptom management pertaining to cannabis and endometriosis, finding that patients often turn to cannabis to alleviate their symptoms despite ongoing barriers to access.

Cannabis Use Among Endometriosis Patients

Endometriosis is a condition where tissue similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus, generally resulting in severe pelvic pain and inflammation. The tissue acts in the same way as the lining inside the uterus, thickening, breaking down and bleeding with each menstrual cycle. Endometriosis involving the ovaries can also result in cysts, causing surrounding tissue irritation and formation of scar tissue.

Endometriosis can start at the time of a person’s first menstrual period and last until menopause. We still don’t know what causes endometriosis, there is no way to prevent it and there is no cure. However, there are a number of treatments to help ease the related symptoms. Some opt for surgery to remove lesions, while many embrace hormonal intrauterine devices, birth control methods, opioid-based pain medications and more for ongoing relief.

That said, we can safely add cannabis to the list of modern-day treatments given its prevalence of use.

In the survey, Australian researchers examined the perspectives of 192 people with a history of cannabis use and endometriosis. Noting it as a “very expensive disease, with substantive out of pocket costs for pain and symptom management,” researchers reference cost and accessibility to cannabis-based medicinal products (CMBPs) as a primary focus of the survey. They also cite the lack of information surrounding ideal products, modes of administration and efficacy in current research.

Researchers gathered data through an online survey of Australian and New Zealand residents, via social media and community-based advocacy platform Cannareviews.co. Respondents included those using either illicit cannabis or legal CMBPs prescribed by a doctor to manage endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain-related symptoms. However, the published report only includes data from Australian respondents. 

Endometriosis, Cannabis Use Trends and Symptom Relief

The survey found that THC-dominant CBMPs are most commonly prescribed to Australians with endometriosis, noting multi-product use as a common trend with most people reporting the use of at least two products. For those with only one prescription (23%), it was almost always a THC-dominant product. 

Most respondents (59.4%) said they used cannabis recreationally and for endometriosis symptom management, though many exclusively used cannabis to manage symptoms (40.1%).

Patients reported improvements in common endometriosis symptoms through the use of legal CBMPs, specifically sleep (68.9%), chronic pelvic pain (44.5%), nausea (47.9%), anxiety/depression (45.4%) and menstrual pain (38.7%). 

They also reported a reduction in the use of opioids, hormonal treatments, non-steroidal inflammatory drugs, neuroleptics and illicit cannabis. 

Oils and flower were the most common product types, illicit or legal.

Examining Cost and Access to Cannabis Medicines

The results also pointed to legal, THC-dominant cannabis medications being more expensive than illicit “equivalents” and that the extra cost for legal access often led to people underdosing (76.1%) or resorting to illicit cannabis to “bridge the gap” and easen cost burdens (42.9%).

Researchers note that relying upon illicit cannabis products can lead to inadequate symptom management, using products that have not been tested for safety and quality and of course associated legal ramifications.

Nearly all (96.3%) respondents said that their cost burden would be substantially reduced if CBMPs were a Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) listed and subsidized product. 

The bulk of respondents said they would consider moving insurers if they found out their private health insurance would not reimburse the cost of cannabis medicine as well — 60.9% said maybe, depending on other factors; 20.3% said yes, so long as the premium was the same price or less; 11.7% said yes, even if the premium was higher; only 7% said no.

Researchers said that patients’ willingness to switch insurers based on this variable “speaks to the pivotal nature of cost concerns (and perceived effectiveness) relating to affordable access to cannabinoids.” Additionally, they state that the results suggest a need for a greater response from insurers in the country.

“Given the lack of well-tolerated alternatives for medical management of endometriosis, this is an equity issue that urgently needs addressing,” they add.

Limitations and Looking Ahead

Researchers note that self-reported nature of cost, diagnosis and product consumption as a limitation. They also cited the potential for their recruitment methods — through social media and Cannareviews’ patient base — to produce recall and selection bias, as participants may have either had more severe impacts to quality of life or a more positive experience with illicit or medicinal cannabis than the broader population.

Still, the data affirms that many are already finding relief and relying on cannabis treatments for endometriosis, highlighting the need for better access.

“Given major issues with symptom management and the self-reported reductions in pain and other symptoms, improving access to medicinal cannabis for this population is important and timely,” authors conclude. “Reductions in cost of both product and consultations, as well as coverage by insurance are areas which need addressing.”

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