Most people who have smoked weed have thought about selling it at one point or another. Why not? It’s a great source of profit when the regular 9-5 job is not paying the bills. Plus, it’s fun, easy, and you get to meet a ton of cool people.
So, what’s the deal with selling in places like California, especially now that’s it’s legal to grow your own weed there and in many other states? If you’ve been growing marijuana and wondered how you would ever smoke all of your harvest, of course, you’ve thought about selling it. After all, it costs money to grow it, and let’s be honest; you could use the reimbursement of your growing costs.
However, chances are you’ve never actually tried to sell weed before, and you have no idea how to get started. Unfortunately, there are plenty of risks involved, so you should plan to follow a few rules if you intend to try it out. You don’t want to face jailtime, so make sure you read this entire article first!
First of all, you will need a few materials. You’ll need a scale so that you can properly measure out your weed. No matter how good you think you might be, trust me, you are not good enough to “eyeball it.” Your customers will not put up with that, and you will be accused of shorting them, which is a stigma that no weed dealer wants.
Next, you will need baggies to sell your weed in. A regular plastic sandwich bag will do, but some dealers like to get creative and pack their goods in decorative bags, which is fine, of course. This will only make you more memorable. Those hundreds of plastic tubes that you have from your many trips to the dispensary make great containers too, as they are more smell proof than plastic bags.
You will also, of course, need people to sell to, but the question you are probably asking yourself is, who should that be? When you are first starting out, you should keep your clientele strictly limited to friends and people you can trust. A small tight knit group of loyal customers is less likely to blab to people about your activities. It’s safe to say that the more people you sell to, the greater your likelihood of going to jail. Expand your customer base slowly and make sure that any referrals sent your way are one hundred percent vouched for!
Most importantly, do not talk about what you do online! Do not advertise your services anywhere online, particularly on social media like Facebook or Twitter. Not only will this get you busted so quickly your head will spin, but Facebook posts can also be used as evidence against you should you get caught.
Lastly, but certainly not least, you will need the goods to sell. There are many ways that you can find weed to sell, such as from a dispensary, or another dealer. Of course, you can always cut out the middleman and grow your own!
How Much Does Weed Sell For?
The neat thing about selling your homegrown weed is that you can pretty much name your own price. If you purchase large amounts through a dealer, that dealer sets the price and locks you into it. You also have to make sure that you can offer a better deal than the dispensaries. If you don’t, why wouldn’t your customers just go there?
How much should you charge? The best way is to start off with an ounce, which you can buy for anywhere from $325 to $400, depending on the quality. From there, you can decide if you want to charge just enough to break even, or if you want to charge just a little more and actually turn a profit.
These prices are generally accepted among dealers and customers for good (and let me stress good) quality weed. Keep in mind that each ounce equals 28.3495 grams.
1 gram - $20
1/8 ounces/ 3.5 grams- $60 (commonly referred to as an eighth)
¼ ounce/ 7 grams – $100-120 commonly referred to as a quarter.
1 ounce/ 28 grams-$325- 400 commonly referred to as an ounce or an “O.”
1 Pound/ 16 ounces-$2500-5200 commonly referred to as a pound.
Again, you do not have to stick with these prices; they are meant to help guide you until you figure out more about the business, what your customers’ needs are and what they can afford. If you want to build up a good clientele first, it won’t hurt to go just below these suggested prices, say, for example, you charge $15 instead of $20 for a gram. You won’t make any money, but you will build up a solid reputation as a good dealer. Profit can always come later.
Don’t charge top-shelf prices before you have a good reputation as a dealer unless you have the dank to back it up. Try to avoid hooking up your friends too much; otherwise, you may never make a profit. Many potential sellers end up making no money because they gave their friends too much free weed. You have to learn how and when to say no. This is a business, after all.
How muchmoney you can make selling your homegrown weed depends on how much you are willing to charge your customers and the quality of your product. If you want to make any money at all, you have to be willing to charge just a little bit extra. If this is your first time selling weed, you will probably not do very well if you are overcharging everyone. This will get you a bad reputation as a shady rip off weed dealer, which will not help you get your business off the ground. In the beginning, you have to be prepared to eat a little bit of profit to build a good reputation among your peers. If you do it right, it will all pay off in the end.
So, how are you supposed to make any money? Offer your customers choices. Grow a decent mid-grade strain and a top-quality strain of perhaps a purple color. Have something that most people would be willing to pay more for. This way, you earn a reputation not only as a good weed dealer, but one with the best quality bud with the prettiest colors too!
How much money you could make depends on how much you are willing to sell at a time. If you sell a lot of weed to a variety of different people, you stand to make a pretty good chunk of change. The smaller amounts like grams and eighths tend to be more often priced higher than their street value. That is why, naturally, you’d want to sell more of these units, with the occasional quarter. Don’t sell ounces or half ounces until your operation has grown to the point where you are carrying a few ounces. You won’t make any money selling an ounce at a time to people. Save that for the big dogs. Selling large quantities of weed is a great way to get caught, and remember you’re not going to pay off your growing equipment in jail!
Lastly, a lot of people start dealing weed because they like the idea of being able to hook up their friends with free weed. No one in business ever made money by giving away the product for free. A slightly lower price for your best friends, aka a homey hookup, is fine as long as you don’t mind it cutting into your bottom line. However, don’t offer the homey hookup to more than one or two people at a time. Tell those who are getting that deal to keep their mouths closed about it - you don’t want everyone bitching at you about why they don’t get the homey hookup.
While we are on the subject, don’t front people. If they don’t have the cash, they don’t get the stash! When was the last time you went to the store to buy groceries, and you asked them if you could pay them next Tuesday? Even the most reliable people could end up screwing you over, and then you’re paying out of pocket.
FREE E-BOOK
Illustrated Marijuana Grow Guide
Save Money - No Tent Needed
Organic Cannabis Soil Recipe
Avoid Common Mistakes
How Do I Sell My Weed to Dispensaries?
The goal of most home growers who aren’t growing for personal use should be to grow enough high-quality weed that you can sell your product to dispensaries. The medical and recreational dispensaries that dot the land are the biggest buyers these days, so this is where you stand to make the most money.
The thing is, dispensaries will only buy the best bud, so if you want to be able to sell the fruits of your labor to them, you need to get your grow game in gear. This does not only mean that you have to learn how to grow more and better quality pot. Selling cannabis to dispensaries is a highly regulated process, and as such, there are a lot of hoops to jump through.
First off, you have to become familiar with your state or country’s laws. Some states, such as California and Washington, have very strict standards when it comes to buying and selling cannabis. However, in the US, it is still federally illegal. In other places such as the UK, selling will get you upwards of 5 years in prison. No matter where you live, know your laws.
Next, you will need to get a license. Dispensaries will not come near you until you have one. You’ll need to also make sure that your grow is up to your state’s standards concerning things such as pesticides. Keep it clean! It also might be a good idea to specialize in weed that is high in certain cannabinoids or pick strains that have the highest THC. Remember that a lot of states only allow medical marijuana. If you are in one of those states, you’ll need to make sure you are growing legal strains.
Selling your homegrown weed to a dispensary is a great goal, but it is a lofty one. Generally, only growers who have been at it for years are going to pass the test. It will be years or perhaps decades before you are that good. You’ve got to start somewhere, though!
Our complete grow kits include everything you need to go from seed to your very own supply of high grade medical cannabis.
Grow with the Sun
Grow Year Round
Seed Coupon Included
Online Grow Support
Harvest up to a pound
How To Not Get Caught Selling Weed
The worst thing that could happen after you start selling weed is not failing to make a profit, it’s getting caught. Some states and countries have very strict laws when it comes to selling weed, but not necessarily buying it. In some European countries like the UK, cannabis is more or less decriminalized when it comes to possession but selling it will land you in prison with a hefty fine.
It’s pretty easy to avoid getting caught, as long as you are smart about it. Try to avoid expanding your business too quickly. I know the temptation to sell to more people so that you can quickly make your money back is intense, but all it takes is one time of selling it to the wrong person to land you behind bars. Start slowly by selling to only the most trustworthy people.
There are also a few things that you can do to avoid detection. You may want to buy a throwaway phone, especially if you live somewhere weed is still completely illegal. Also try to avoid making deliveries, as getting caught with things like a scale, individual baggies, and a large quantity of weed just screams drug dealer. If someone needs a delivery, bring their order with you, pre-packaged, and only do one delivery at a time! One small quantity of weed is a lot easier to explain than several small quantities of weed. Another way of putting it: a misdemeanor possession charge is far better than a distribution or trafficking charge. Most importantly, stay as far away from schools as possible!
These are just some basic things that you should know before you attempt to turn your small garden into a successful business. Abide by most of these rules (especially the last section), and you should be just fine. As a disclaimer, this is not meant to be legal advice, just common sense.
Good luck!
Coverage of cannabis legalization, including laws and policies, as well as election and bill updates.
