Licensed vs mail-order cannabis: how they compare

For the first few years after legalization, licensed cannabis carried a real premium, and plenty of people bought from online mail-order shops instead to save money. That maths has changed. The price gap has nearly closed, which changes the calculation for a lot of shoppers. Here is how the two compare now, without the hype.

How they compare

	Licensed store	Online mail-order
Price	~$5 to 6 a gram	Often a little cheaper (gap ~$1.49/g)
Testing	Tested inside the regulated system	Varies, check for published lab results
Labelling	THC/CBD content, batch, often a COA	Varies by shop
How to verify	On your province’s authorized list	Check reputation, reviews, and lab results
Selection	Curated to wide	Often very wide

Price: the gap has nearly closed

This is the big change. The average price of licensed dried flower is around $5 to $6 a gram, and the difference between licensed and mail-order has shrunk from about $3.59 a gram in 2019 to roughly $1.49. Licensed cannabis is no longer the expensive option it once was. For more, see how much cannabis costs.

The real difference: who checks the product

Price aside, the biggest difference is what you know about the product. Licensed cannabis is tested inside the regulated system for pesticides, mould, and other contaminants, with potency verified and printed on the label, often backed by a certificate of analysis. In the mail-order market that testing is not automatic, so the job of confirming it falls to you. The good news is that reputable mail-order shops publish their lab results too, you just have to look for them. Either way, a real COA is what tells you what you are actually buying.

Everything else

Licensed stores are simple to verify because they appear on your province’s authorized list. Mail-order shops take a little more homework: check the shop’s reputation, look for independent reviews, and confirm there are published lab results before you order. A long track record and real customer reviews go a long way.

Which should you choose?

With the price difference now small, licensed stores are an easy, verifiable choice, and for many people that simplicity is worth it. If you shop the mail-order market instead, the same principle applies: judge the shop on published testing, reputation, and clear policies rather than price alone. Not sure where to start? See where to buy for the licensed options in your province, or learn how to read a COA so you can check any product yourself.

This is general information, not legal advice.