Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections

Jakob Manthey; Anna Obradors-Pineda

doi:10.1111/dar.13680

Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections

Standard

Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections. / Manthey, Jakob; Obradors-Pineda, Anna.

In: DRUG ALCOHOL REV, Vol. 42, No. 5, 07.2023, p. 1153-1160.

Research output: SCORING: Contribution to journal › SCORING: Journal article › Research › peer-review

Harvard

Manthey, J & Obradors-Pineda, A 2023, 'Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections', DRUG ALCOHOL REV, vol. 42, no. 5, pp. 1153-1160. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13680

APA

Manthey, J., & Obradors-Pineda, A. (2023). Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections. DRUG ALCOHOL REV, 42(5), 1153-1160. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13680

Vancouver

Manthey J, Obradors-Pineda A. Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections. DRUG ALCOHOL REV. 2023 Jul;42(5):1153-1160. https://doi.org/10.1111/dar.13680

Bibtex

@article{24b422410bae4e9f85c98a3791fe36c4,

title = "Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections",

abstract = "INTRODUCTION: Cannabis social clubs (CSC) are community-based non-profit organisations that aim to minimise cannabis-related harm for their members. This contribution seeks to: (i) compare the cost of cannabis flower and resin in CSCs to the national average retail price on the illegal market; and (ii) identify possible quantity discounts for cannabis flower and resin distributed to members of CSCs.METHODS: Routine data from four CSCs located in Barcelona, Spain, contained information on n = 220,465 collections of cannabis resin and flower (0.01-39 g per collection). The costs for 1 g of cannabis flower and resin per collection were determined. The mean national prices on illicit cannabis were obtained from Spanish police reports.RESULTS: On average, members paid 6.19€ for 1 g flower (median: 6€; interquartile range: 6-7€) and 8.54€ for 1 g resin (median: 7€; interquartile range: 6-9€), with less variations for flower than for resin. Compared to the national average, prices appeared to be higher for cannabis products distributed in CSCs, but comparisons were limited by a lack of data on the variation of national prices. For resin, doubling the quantity was associated with a 20.7% (95% confidence interval 20.4-21.2%; p < 0.001) fee discount.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis in CSCs may be more costly than the estimated national average for the illicit market. No meaningful price discount could be observed for flower but for resin. Pricing policies pursued by CSCs may help to disincentivise consumption of larger amounts but may also bar socioeconomically disadvantaged users from accessing safer alternatives than the illegal market.",

keywords = "Humans, Cannabis, Commerce, Hallucinogens, Marketing, Policy",

author = "Jakob Manthey and Anna Obradors-Pineda",

note = "{\textcopyright} 2023 The Authors. Drug and Alcohol Review published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.",

year = "2023",

month = jul,

doi = "10.1111/dar.13680",

language = "English",

volume = "42",

pages = "1153--1160",

journal = "DRUG ALCOHOL REV",

issn = "0959-5236",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell",

number = "5",

}

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Prices of flower and resin in cannabis social clubs: Analyses of register data from 220,000 collections

AU - Manthey, Jakob

AU - Obradors-Pineda, Anna

PY - 2023/7

Y1 - 2023/7

N2 - INTRODUCTION: Cannabis social clubs (CSC) are community-based non-profit organisations that aim to minimise cannabis-related harm for their members. This contribution seeks to: (i) compare the cost of cannabis flower and resin in CSCs to the national average retail price on the illegal market; and (ii) identify possible quantity discounts for cannabis flower and resin distributed to members of CSCs.METHODS: Routine data from four CSCs located in Barcelona, Spain, contained information on n = 220,465 collections of cannabis resin and flower (0.01-39 g per collection). The costs for 1 g of cannabis flower and resin per collection were determined. The mean national prices on illicit cannabis were obtained from Spanish police reports.RESULTS: On average, members paid 6.19€ for 1 g flower (median: 6€; interquartile range: 6-7€) and 8.54€ for 1 g resin (median: 7€; interquartile range: 6-9€), with less variations for flower than for resin. Compared to the national average, prices appeared to be higher for cannabis products distributed in CSCs, but comparisons were limited by a lack of data on the variation of national prices. For resin, doubling the quantity was associated with a 20.7% (95% confidence interval 20.4-21.2%; p < 0.001) fee discount.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis in CSCs may be more costly than the estimated national average for the illicit market. No meaningful price discount could be observed for flower but for resin. Pricing policies pursued by CSCs may help to disincentivise consumption of larger amounts but may also bar socioeconomically disadvantaged users from accessing safer alternatives than the illegal market.

AB - INTRODUCTION: Cannabis social clubs (CSC) are community-based non-profit organisations that aim to minimise cannabis-related harm for their members. This contribution seeks to: (i) compare the cost of cannabis flower and resin in CSCs to the national average retail price on the illegal market; and (ii) identify possible quantity discounts for cannabis flower and resin distributed to members of CSCs.METHODS: Routine data from four CSCs located in Barcelona, Spain, contained information on n = 220,465 collections of cannabis resin and flower (0.01-39 g per collection). The costs for 1 g of cannabis flower and resin per collection were determined. The mean national prices on illicit cannabis were obtained from Spanish police reports.RESULTS: On average, members paid 6.19€ for 1 g flower (median: 6€; interquartile range: 6-7€) and 8.54€ for 1 g resin (median: 7€; interquartile range: 6-9€), with less variations for flower than for resin. Compared to the national average, prices appeared to be higher for cannabis products distributed in CSCs, but comparisons were limited by a lack of data on the variation of national prices. For resin, doubling the quantity was associated with a 20.7% (95% confidence interval 20.4-21.2%; p < 0.001) fee discount.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: Cannabis in CSCs may be more costly than the estimated national average for the illicit market. No meaningful price discount could be observed for flower but for resin. Pricing policies pursued by CSCs may help to disincentivise consumption of larger amounts but may also bar socioeconomically disadvantaged users from accessing safer alternatives than the illegal market.

KW - Humans

KW - Cannabis

KW - Commerce

KW - Hallucinogens

KW - Marketing

KW - Policy

U2 - 10.1111/dar.13680

DO - 10.1111/dar.13680

M3 - SCORING: Journal article

C2 - 37183527

VL - 42

SP - 1153

EP - 1160

JO - DRUG ALCOHOL REV

JF - DRUG ALCOHOL REV

SN - 0959-5236

IS - 5

ER -