U.S. Cannabis Spot Index opens 2019 down 0.9% at $1,165 per pound.
The simple average (non-volume weighted) price decreased by $48 to $1,292 per pound, with 68% of transactions (one standard deviation) in the $524 to $2,061 per pound range. The average reported deal size was nominally unchanged at 4.1 pounds. In grams, the Spot price was $2.57, and the simple average price was $2.85.
The relative frequency of trades for outdoor flower grew this week, by over 1%, while that for indoor product decreased by the same proportion. The relative frequency of transactions for greenhouse flower was unchanged compared to last week. Similarly, each individual grow type’s share of the total reported weight moved nationwide was stable compared to the final week of 2018. One year ago, in the opening week of 2018, the relative volumes of warehouse, greenhouse, and outdoor product were documented at 46%, 37%, and 17%, respectively.
The U.S. Spot Index opened 2019 with a small decline, sliding by 0.9% to settle at $1,165 per pound. A decrease in the national volume-weighted price for indoor-grown flower was primarily responsible for pulling down the U.S. composite price. The national price for warehouse flower slipped mainly due to declines in the going rate for that grow type in all three West Coast markets. Also from a state-level perspective, week-over-week decreases in the Spot Indices of Oregon, Washington State, and Arizona outweighed upward price movement in California, Colorado, and Michigan. This week’s U.S. Spot Index is off by 22.5% year-over-year, compared to the national composite price of $1,503 per pound, documented in the opening week of 2018.
The national volume-weighted price for flower to be sold in adult-use markets declined this week. Decreases in California’s adult-use sector, as well as in Oregon and Washington, outweighed upticks in Colorado and Alaska. Sinking wholesale rates in Arizona, Illinois, Maine, and New Mexico were primarily responsible for pushing down slightly the national price for product designated for registered patients.
July 2019 Forward assessed at $1,000 per pound.
The average reported forward deal was unchanged at 55.8 pounds. The proportion of forward deals for outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor-grown flower was 54%, 29%, and 17% of forward arrangements, respectively. The average forward deal size for monthly delivery for outdoor, greenhouse, and indoor-grown flower was 63 pounds, 50 pounds, and 43 pounds, respectively.
At $1,100 per pound, the February 2019 Forward represents a discount of 5.6% relative to the current U.S. Spot Price of $1,165 per pound. The premium or discount for each Forward price, relative to the U.S. Spot Index, is illustrated in the table below.
Sample Headlines From This Week’s Premium Report:
California
Licensed Cultivators Outnumber Retailers by About Four to One as of End of 2018, the Largest Disparity of Any Adult-Use Market
Oregon
State Officials Predict that Incorporating Industrial Hemp Products into Licensed Cannabis Market Could Hurt Growers, but May Improve Bottom Lines of Processors, Wholesalers, and Retailers
Nevada
Michigan