Why driving to Michigan for recreational marijuana is cheaper than buying it in Ohio

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Recreational marijuana is legalized in Ohio and 23 other states, but not all cannabis is priced equally.

Ohio is entering its fifth month of legalized recreational marijuana, but prices are still significantly higher than prices in neighboring Michigan. According to Michigan’s Cannabis Regulatory Agency, the average price for an ounce of marijuana flower in November was $91.77. In Ohio, the average cost for an ounce of flower in November was $212.58. 

The discrepancy has led some Ohioans to speculate online that it might be cheaper to drive to Michigan to purchase cannabis than purchase it in the Buckeye State. According to the Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Just Like Alcohol -- a driving force behind Issue 2, which legalized recreational marijuana in Ohio with 57% approval -- an argument in favor of legalizing cannabis in Ohio was lost sales tax to Michigan.

Even with recreational sales underway in the state, NBC4 found Ohioans would still save money by purchasing their marijuana in Michigan if it were legal to do so. Cannabis is federally illegal, and state borders fall under federal jurisdiction, so it is illegal to cross state lines with marijuana even if both states permit sales. Penalties range from misdemeanors to felonies, depending on how much marijuana is in one's possession if they are caught.

If it were legal, Ohioans might find the trip worth their time. The southernmost dispensary in Michigan is 156 miles from Columbus, which would require about 6 gallons of gas each way. NBC4 found the average cost of gas for the state of Ohio in each month and calculated what the drive would have cost. The chart compares the average price of one ounce of dried cannabis flower.

Based on these findings, central Ohioans would save an average of $104.11 by driving more than 300 miles to Michigan round trip to purchase their recreational marijuana. This number is quickly lowering, however. The $125.18 a Columbus resident would have saved in August dropped by nearly $40 in four months, with an estimated $86.89 saved in November.

Nationally, Ohio is middle of the road for marijuana pricing. Washington, D.C., appears as an outlier because it is legal to use recreationally, but not legal to sell. Estimations for how much an ounce in D.C. vary wildly, so NBC4 compared average prices for every licensed retailer in the city to get the average listed below.

With prices falling already, there may be opportunities in the future for Ohio consumers to pay less. Currently, Ohio has 127 licensed dispensaries, according to the Ohio Department of Commerce. Comparatively, Michigan state reports show 843 licensed cannabis retailers as of November, making it a much more competitive market, which can contribute to lower prices.