ASPEN — Aspen’s recreational marijuana shops have been booming since the tourist season kicked into high gear in June. According to Hunter Beaudreau, an employee at Green Dragon Aspen, recreational sales have at least doubled in the past month.
With more recreational sales taking place, the medical marijuana supplies have backed up and several shops now have surpluses of medical pot, allowing for lower pricing.
There also appears to be a pot price war brewing in Aspen on the medical side.
Silverpeak Apothecary started lowering prices when it announced in March that 7 grams of any of its medical marijuana strains would cost only $40 to members. Green Dragon Aspen answered in June by offering its medical members the same amount for $30.
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John Rogan has been an employee at Leaf Aspen for three years and has seen the medical prices drop, especially in the past three months.
“The price wars between Silverpeak and Green Dragon have affected us, as well,” he said. “People come in now and expect to find 7 grams for $40. We now have ounces as low as $150, with our premium flower up to $275. The focus has gone from how good the bud is to how cheap it costs. I think our deals are great because our product is all pretty much top-shelf.”
Rogan saw several Leaf customers not renew their medical-card coverage to give recreational pot a chance, only to renew eventually.
Medical marijuana is much cheaper than recreational, in part because of the addition of the 10 percent state tax and 9.3 percent local sales tax but also because recreational outlets are still ramping up their supplies. The Aspen Times
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