City of Portland Purchased More Cannabis than the Entire State Combined

Oregon’s cannabis industry sold enough to supply every adult resident with over a gram of cannabis. The state sold almost five million grams or approximately 11,000 pounds of the plant during the first three months of 2016, and Portland residents were the heaviest champs, consuming more than all other areas. Portland residents bought 3,039,000 grams of cannabis, about 6,700 pounds, between January 4, 2016 and March 31, 2016, according to a report from the Oregon Department of Revenue. That compares to the rest of the state, which bought 1,958,000 grams, or about 4,300 pounds, during the same time period.

Although the Portland metropolitan area is home to 2.4 million people, and over half of the state’s population, Portlanders prefer cannabis at a higher rate than their rural counterparts. In Portland, 1.3 grams was sold per person and the rest of the state, 1.2 grams was sold per person. The data does not include those who are under 18, which constitutes 24 percent of the state’s population.

Licensed retailers were allowed to start selling cannabis in October 2016 with a tax rate of 17 percent. The state collected $54,506,832 in tax revenue from February to November of 2016. Overall, cannabis was inexpensive in Oregon with all regions reporting an average of less than $10 per gram. The cheapest was found in the “Central/Gorge/Northeastern” region, where it went for $8.19 a gram in the first quarter of 2016. Cannabis was slightly more expensive in urban Portland at $9.42 per gram. That means that those living in the city of Portland are paying over a dollar more per gram.

During the first quarter of 2016, people in Oregon legally bought $43,766,000 worth of cannabis products. That same period yielded a tax liability for businesses at $13,455,202. Oregon’s Governor Kate Brown joined three other governors to plead with U.S. Attornery General Jeff Sessions and Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin.