The price of weed around the world varies considerably, as we can see from the infographic above. Most of the data was taken from this website, and was double-checked against other sources where possible. All prices are in USD per gram.

Cheapest Weed in the World

There are some interesting trends and patterns in different cultures as it pertains to cannabis use. As you’d imagine, developing countries have the best prices – mainly due to ease of growing and ineffective law enforcement – with India taking cheapest prize at a staggering 8 cents per gram (possibly due to its long, rich history of weed use).

China’s 80 cents a gram was a pleasant surprise: especially considering the wildly fluctuating prices in the rest of the Pacific Rim region. The country has a strong agrarian culture and a thriving weed-growing tradition – despite horror stories of government crackdowns.

Weed Prices in Europe Vary

There are a few surprises in Europe: in Ireland the price of weed seemed particularly high, especially compared to the neighboring UK, as did the price in both Italy and Greece. And despite its grey-area legality, the price of weed in the Netherlands (home to the well-known and cannabis infamous Amsterdam) is still higher than the UK and Spain – but this could be because most Dutch weed is high-quality, potent, connoisseur-level gear.

Weed Prices in Israel?

Israel presents something of a conundrum: immediate neighbors Jordan and Egypt both have very reasonable prices compared to Israel’s eye-watering $28.50 per gram. But this is likely a product of international politics: growing weed in Israel itself is very hard, due to access to water resources, the fact the country is very small, and the enthusiasm of the authorities. In days gone by, much of the market’s cheap weed was sourced from Egypt: but now the import process is now much harder due to Israel’s border fence, its increased military activity, and its isolationism from its Arab neighbors.

**Update** In June of 2016, the Israeli government actually started a discussion about the decriminalization of cannabis. Israeli Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked stated “we are talking about decriminalization, not legalization.”

Down Under and the Price of Weed

Prices are high Down Under too, at an average of $23 per gram. Australia is known for her warm climate, which can make growing cannabis both easy and difficult: a warm climate is perfect to grow cannabis, but Australia has been victim to drought for years, and the harsh, dry desert just does not provide any coverage from the authorities and thieves. Australian’s are known for their enthusiasm to share a beer and one can imagine they share they same enthusiasm for cannabis, causing prices in the Southern Hemisphere to skyrocket.

Most Expensive Weed Prices in the World

Lastly we have Japan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), both places where the price of weed is so high that it is only realistically accessible by the super-rich. This is no doubt a product of the countries’ draconian anti-cannabis laws: in Japan, if you get caught with just one joint, you can look forward to a five-year prison sentence with hard labor (or deportation and barring for life, if you’re a foreigner); in the UAE, that sentence is four years… but “possession” is sometimes legally interpreted as having trace amounts of cannabinoids in your blood or urine.

So next time you smoke up, spare a thought for those in Japan or UAE who have never had a chance to try weed — and those who are currently languishing in prison for daring to bring some joy into their lives.