We Found the Best Weed Cities in the U.S. (2024 Data)

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  Written by Jaime Dunaway-Seale

Best Weed Cities, Ranked | 15 Best Weed Cities | 10 Worst Weed Cities | Worst City for Recreational Weed | Rankings by Category | Pot Polling | Methodology 

During an election year, the terms “red wave” and “blue wave” are inevitably part of the public discourse. But it’s a “green wave” that’s sweeping across the country with no signs of receding. 

Twelve years after Colorado and Washington became the first states to legalize recreational cannabis, extensive reforms are occurring throughout the U.S. 

Although cannabis legislation can, at times, feel half baked, 37 states have legalized the plant for medical use, while 24 states and the District of Columbia have given residents the green light to consume for recreational purposes.

With four more states campaigning to put legalization questions on the November ballot, it’s clear public opinion regarding this controversial plant has shifted. About 74% of Americans say they do not have a negative view of stoners, and 62% have actually tried marijuana themselves, according to a new survey from Real Estate Witch.

Americans are consuming more weed than ever before, and cities are emboldened to not only protect the right to use cannabis but also to celebrate it.

To determine the best weed cities in 2024, we embarked on a joint venture with Leafly — the leading online cannabis discovery marketplace and resource for cannabis consumers — to rank the 50 largest U.S. metros based on the following metrics:

• 10x: Legality of cannabis
• 5x: Google Trends data for common marijuana-related search terms
• 5x: Dispensaries per 100,000 residents
• 3x: Cannabis-prescribing doctors per 100,000 residents
• 2x: Average rating of dispensaries out of 5 stars
• 2x: Site visitors to Leafly
• 2x: Number of head shops per 100,000 residents
• 2x: Concert venues per 100,000 residents
• 1x: Price of 1 ounce of high-quality weed
• 1x: Affordability of high-quality weed
• 1x: Price of 1 ounce of medium-quality weed
• 1x: Affordability of medium-quality weed
• 1x: Fast food restaurants per 100,000 residents
• 1x: Local hiking trails according to the AllTrails database
• 1x: Movie theaters per 100,000 residents

Keep reading to find out if your city smoked the competition or was left high and dry.

The 50 Best Weed Cities, Ranked

The 15 Best Weed Cities

1. Denver, Colorado

In the decade since recreational weed was legalized, Denver has emerged as a hash hub in Colorado and across the U.S.

“It’s the Mile High City. It’s right there in the name,” says David Downs, senior content manager at Leafly. “I want to call out specifically that Colorado has amazing hash because it’s so high and dry and often cold.”

Marijuana is easily accessible in the Mile High City, with a variety of dispensaries selling local favorites, such as Charlotte’s Web. In fact, Denver boasts the third-most dispensaries with 10.4 per 100,000 residents — 4x more than the average city (2.4). Denver also has the second-highest number of head shops with 2.3 per 100,000 residents.

The price of pot is practically unbeatable in Denver, where an ounce of high-quality weed costs just $242, compared to the average price of $318.

“Colorado is one of the oldest cannabis markets in the country,” Downs says. “It’s had the most time to implement and mainstream its program, and consequently, it’s mature. Cannabis is widely available. It’s affordable. It’s pure. It’s regulated.”

Although Denver has the third-most affordable weed — behind only Sacramento and Portland — users aren’t sacrificing quality. Denver dispensaries earned 4.37 stars out of 5 on Leafly, which is 22% higher than the average rating of 3.59. 

2. Portland, Oregon

Portland dropped to No. 2 in the ranking after claiming the top spot in 2023, but the city’s cannabis culture is nothing to puff, puff, pass on. There’s plenty of ways to experience the City of Roses from a higher perspective. Portland boasts the most movie theaters — with 1.6 per 100,000 residents — as well as the second-most hiking trails (210).

Portland is known for its delicious brews and funky food, which wouldn’t be complete without the feel-good ingredient that is cannabis. It’s easy to find gourmet edibles and other products at one of the city’s many dispensaries. Portland has the second-most retailers with 13.7 per 100,000 residents — nearly 6x more than the average city (2.5). 

Unfortunately, Portland (1.2) has about 48% fewer head shops per 100,000 residents than Denver (2.3) — likely causing the drop in the ranking. That hasn’t diminished the city’s passion for pot, though, and residents visit Leafly.com at a rate that’s nearly 3x higher than those in other cities.

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

No “trip” to Las Vegas is complete without cannabis. Sin City stoners will feel like they’ve hit the jackpot with 3.1 marijuana retailers per 100,000 residents — 29% more than the average city (2.4). In addition to an above-average number of dispensaries, Las Vegas also boasts the most head shops with 3.1 per 100,000 residents — 3x more than the average city (0.9).

The buzz around Las Vegas’ weed scene couldn’t be higher, with residents searching the web for marijuana-related terms 31% more often than those in the average city. The most recent headlines herald the opening of the first state-licensed consumption lounge, with more on the way in 2024.

Although it’s illegal to smoke publicly outside these lounges, Las Vegas has plenty of dope experiences for stoners after they’ve lit up. Sin City has the second-most music venues, with 5.4 per 100,000 residents — nearly 3x more than the average city (1.9). It also has about 2.5x the number of hiking trails (173) as the average city (70) — including the beautiful Red Rocks Canyon.

4. Buffalo, New York

The launch of New York’s recreational marijuana program is off to a rocky start, but Buffalo just keeps rollin’ as one of the best weed cities in the U.S. and in the state. 

Buffalo has 2.5 cannabis retailers per 100,000 residents, compared to New York City’s 1 per 100,000 residents. Although that’s lower than some weed enthusiasts might have hoped, the few dispensaries that do exist in Buffalo are all rated highly. They’ve earned 4.24 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to 3.59 in the average city and 3.40 in New York City. 

In fact, Buffalo outshines New York City in almost every metric, including the price of weed. An ounce of high-quality weed in Buffalo costs $318, compared to $380 in New York City. 

5. Baltimore, Maryland

Just months after recreational marijuana became legal, Baltimore is already one of the best weed cities in the U.S. The excitement surrounding this newfound fweedom is palpable. With a 92 out of 100, Baltimore has the fourth-highest “pot passion” score, based on Google searches for marijuana-related keywords.

Baltimore could have ranked higher but was held back by a low number of dispensaries. The city has just 1.8 per 100,000 residents — about 25% fewer than the average city (2.4). However, the existing retailers are all well reviewed, earning 4.15 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to the studied-city average of 3.59.

Weed prices in Baltimore are also slightly higher than average. A high-quality ounce costs $330 — about 4% more than the national average ($318). But that hasn’t stopped residents from spending more than $700 million on cannabis since it was legalized for recreational use.

It’s clear local retailers have a customer base of passionate supporters, but Baltimore residents also branch out to national sites for additional products and information. They visit Leafly.com at the third-highest rate among all cities studied.

6. Phoenix, Arizona

In their online searches for weed, Phoenix residents racked up the most site visits to Leafly.com. In fact, they visit the site 3.5x more frequently than cannabis connoisseurs in the average city. 

With perfect scores on our two metrics for online search volume, it’s safe to say Phoenix is the most passionate pot city in the U.S.

The Valley of the Sun also serves the best ganja in the top 15, with local retailers earning an average rating of 4.42 stars out of 5, compared to 3.59 nationwide. Luckily, buying the best weed in the West won’t cost a fortune. An ounce of high-quality marijuana costs $292 in Phoenix — 8% less than the national average cost of $318.

Phoenix is clearly a pretty dope town for local stoners, but it’s also a smokin’ hot destination for weed tourists. The metro area boasts more hiking trails than any other city (236) and is home to the state’s only cannabis-infused kitchen.

7. Seattle, Washington

Ten years after the first recreational weed sales occurred in Seattle, there’s no shortage of places to purchase pot. From Uncle Ike’s to The Novel Tree, Seattle has a high-quality dispensary scene, with the average retailer earning 4.35 stars out of 5. That’s the sixth-highest rating on our list.

Although the most popular marijuana strains in Seattle are Charlotte’s Web and Jack Herer, the city’s retailers have plenty of options at any price. Medium-quality weed in Seattle costs just $201, while high-quality weed costs $248 — about $51 and $70 less than the average prices, respectively.

In fact, Seattle is the third-most affordable city for medium- and high-quality weed based on the local price-to-income ratio.

8. Sacramento, California

Sacramento is the cannabis capital of California, ranking No. 1 in the Golden State for the third straight year.

“Sacramento stands to be the epicenter of high-quality indoor cannabis in the legalization era,” Downs says. “Sacramento pot is the sleeper hit of the state. If you want a picture of the future, it’s happening in Sacramento first.”

The city rose to the top because of its affordable pot prices. Not only does it have the least expensive high-quality weed, it also has the cheapest mid-quality weed. An ounce costs $177 in Sacramento, which is $75 less than the national average ($252).

Based on the price-to-income ratio, Sacramento is the fifth-most affordable city for medium-quality weed and the sixth-most affordable city for high-quality weed. 

“It’s such a great counterpoint to the pricey San Francisco market and the more massive LA market,” Downs says. “It’s cool to see how affordable marijuana is there and how high quality it is.” 

Although Sacramento (2.7) trails San Francisco (3.4) for most dispensaries per 100,000 residents, the capital city can boast of its superior quality. Cannabis retailers in Sacramento have earned 4.35 stars out of 5. That’s the highest rating in California and seventh-highest among all cities studied.

9. Kansas City, Missouri

Missouri voters legalized recreational weed just two years ago, but in that short time, the marijuana market has grown like a weed. In 2023, Missouri cashed in on $1.3 billion worth of cannabis sold from top dispensaries, such as Kansas City’s From the Earth.

Kansas City already has 3 cannabis retailers per 100,000 residents — 25% more than the average city in our study (2.4). What’s more, it has double the number of dispensaries per capita as Los Angeles, where recreational weed has been available since 2016.

“Kansas City has some better adult-use recreational options than San Francisco or Los Angeles,” Downs says. “I’m talking about ‘deli style,’ which is illegal in California and Washington and available in Missouri. Another option that most legal states don’t have that Missouri has is drive-thrus.”

The maturing market has only generated more interest in marijuana. Kansas City’s Google Trends score of 95 out of 100 is the third-highest among all cities studied and 42% higher than the average city’s score of 67. The pot passion doesn’t stop there, with Kansas City residents visiting Leafly 25% more often than residents in other cities. 

“Kansas City is a banging town to go have some fun,” Downs says. “You go there and get the best barbecue in the world. The Chiefs are on fire. A women’s soccer league stadium is being located there. People from all over the Midwest and beyond go to Kansas City for events now, and legal cannabis in these beautiful new stores is a real jewel on their ring finger.”

Kansas City could have scored higher, but an ounce of high-quality weed costs about 5% more than the national average. Yet the $335 a Kansas City resident pays for high-quality weed is still cheaper than the $358 a St. Louis resident pays. 

10. Providence, Rhode Island

Having legalized recreational cannabis just two years ago, Rhode Island is still a green player in the marijuana industry. In the capital city of Providence, though, residents are ravenous for more cannabis.

Providence scored an 80 out of 100 on our pot passion metric, while the average city scored a 67. Residents also visit Leafly.com about 50% more often than those in other cities. In fact, the number of Leafly site visits in Providence is the fifth-highest among all cities studied.

Dispensaries remain few and far between in Rhode Island, but Providence still has slightly more than the average city, with 2.5 per 100,000 residents. The lack of quantity doesn’t translate to a lack of quality, though. Providence retailers have earned 4.06 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to the national average of 3.59.

At $310 an ounce, Providence residents pay slightly below average ($318) for high-quality weed. But with more dispensaries expected to open in 2024, prices could drop even further as competition increases.

11. Boston, Massachusetts

Boston residents have a history of dumping products made from leaves into the ocean. Thankfully, those made from cannabis haven’t been wasted to make a political point.

“Bunker Hill was where we fought the Red Coats for freedom, and cannabis legalization is all about freedom,” Downs says. “Boston has never been better with the addition of legal cannabis. Marijuana is a great adjunct to the fun you can have.”

Throughout the city, stoners can easily find flower, edibles, and CBD products of only the highest quality. Customers have given Boston’s cannabis retailers 4.19 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to 3.59 in the average city.

Like other goods and services in New England, weed can be expensive. A high-quality ounce costs $337 — 6% more than the average price ($318).

But thanks to high local salaries, Boston is the seventh-most affordable city for mid-quality weed and the eighth-most affordable city for high-quality weed based on the price-to-income ratio.

12. San Jose, California

If San Jose residents purchased an ounce of high-quality weed once a quarter, it would cost just 0.7% of their annual income. The percentage drops to 0.6% if purchasing medium-quality weed. 

High local salaries certainly make weed affordable in San Jose, but combined with low prices, it results in a price-to-income ratio that can’t be beat. 

San Jose has the fourth-lowest price for high-quality weed at $245 and the third-lowest price for medium-quality weed at $199. Those prices are also the second-cheapest in California, behind Sacramento.

San Jose could have ranked higher, but it has just 0.8 dispensaries per 100,000 residents — 66% fewer than the average city (2.4). What it lacks in retailers it makes up for in head shops, with 2.1 per 100,000 residents. That’s 2x more than the average city (0.9).

13. Hartford, Connecticut

Hartford residents are passionate about pot. With an 88 out of 100, they notched the sixth-highest score on our Google Trends metric, which measures online search volume for marijuana-related terms.

Despite the high demand, slow retail growth has led to a lack of supply. Hartford has just 1.6 retailers per 100,000 residents. That’s 33% fewer than the average city (2.4). 

With few regional options, local leaf lovers have had to expand their options. Hartford residents visit Leafly.com 14% more often than those in other cities. 

The scarcity of legal marijuana could have led to sky-high prices, but weed remains relatively affordable in Hartford. At $314, a high-quality ounce of cannabis is still slightly lower than the average price ($318).

14. San Francisco, California

While many cities on this list are navigating cannabis legalization for the first time, San Francisco has been fighting for greater access for decades. Today, San Fran is home to some of the world’s most diverse and innovative cannabis retailers that earn high marks for quality. Local dispensaries have earned 4.17 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to the average rating of 3.59. 

Consumers can light up in one of the city’s many consumption lounges, which serve as a great starting point for an herban adventure. Compared to the average city, San Francisco has 42% more music venues and 31% more hiking trails — including the Cannabis Trail that winds through Northern California telling the story of the legalization movement. The city also has 1.3 movie theaters per 100,000 residents — 2x more than the average city (0.6).

Although San Francisco is one of the most expensive cities in the country, cannabis is relatively affordable to these high earners. San Francisco is actually the second-most affordable city for cannabis based on the price-to-income ratio. An ounce of medium-quality weed costs $223, while an ounce of high-quality weed costs $280 — both about 12% lower than the average prices of $252 and $318, respectively.

15. Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Although cannabis is only legal for medicinal use, Oklahoma’s capital has more dispensaries than any other metro with a whopping 32.2 per 100,000 residents — about 13x more than the average city (2.4) and 2.4x more than Portland, the city with the second-most dispensaries (13.7). What’s more, Oklahoma City has nearly 3x more dispensaries than all six of California’s most-populous cities combined (11.3).

With so many medical dispensaries, Oklahoma City naturally has a high number of cannabis-prescribing doctors, as well. The city boasts 5.7 doctors per 100,000 residents — nearly 4x the studied city average (1.6).

“Cannabis is a medicine,” Downs says. “They’re using it for sleep, anxiety, stress, pain. The collapse of the price of marijuana in Oklahoma has been a public health victory for Oklahomans who now have a safer, less addictive option than a lot of the pharmaceuticals they were being offered.” 

The cannabis craze has reached new heights in Oklahoma because of a laissez-faire attitude toward the marijuana market. The market has become oversaturated with dispensaries, but that hasn’t led to a loss of quality. Oklahoma City dispensaries earned 4.32 stars out of 5 on Leafly, which is 20% higher than the average city’s score of 3.59.

In March 2023, voters in this conservative state shot down a referendum on recreational marijuana, but that hasn’t diminished their passion for pot. Oklahoma City scored an 85 out of 100 on our Google Trends metric measuring online search activity. For comparison, the average city scored a 67.

“Oklahoma has to now trim back, prune, and manage its robust medical marijuana industry,” Downs says. “I’m confident Oklahomans will chart their own distinctive path and provide more lessons for the rest of the country. Oklahoma is part of the global cannabis conversation like never before.”

The 10 Worst Weed Cities

To determine the best cities for stoners, it’s necessary to weed out a few bad buds. These are the worst metros for cannabis connoisseurs: 

1. Louisville, Kentucky
2. Dallas, Texas
3. Atlanta, Georgia
4. Houston, Texas
5. Birmingham, Alabama
6. Nashville, Tennessee
7. Charlotte, North Carolina
8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin
9. Memphis, Tennessee
10. Indianapolis, Indiana

Cannabis remains illegal for recreational use in all of our bottom 10 cities, while Birmingham is the only city that permits it for medicinal purposes. Kentucky is set to launch its medical marijuana program in 2025, but for now, that’s not enough to lift Louisville out of the bottom spot.

Louisville has just 0.6 head shops per 100,000 residents, compared to 0.9 in the average city. There’s also fewer dispensaries. With just 0.1 cannabis retailers per 100,000 residents, Louisville has 24x fewer than the average city (2.4).

Thanks to tight restrictions and a lack of weed infrastructure, Louisville has almost no cannabis culture. Residents search the web for marijuana-related terms about 21% less often than those in other cities and visit Leafly.com about 50% less often.

“We’re praying for Louisville,” Downs says. “We’re hoping for change in Kentucky, and it’s just a matter of time.”

Although Kentucky lawmakers recently filed the aptly named House Bill 420 to legalize recreational cannabis use, the legislation faces an uphill battle to become law. Its passage would certainly improve Louisville’s rank in the coming years, but for now, the Bluegrass State remains firmly opposed to any other type of grass.

The Worst City for Legal Weed

Marijuana became legal for recreational use in Minneapolis in August 2023, but the city has a lot of work to do if it wants to become a pot powerhouse. Among cities where recreational weed is legal, Minneapolis is the worst.

Fully legalizing marijuana helped Minneapolis climb nine spots in the ranking to No. 31 overall, but the city still falls below some metros, such as Philadelphia and Orlando, where cannabis is allowed for medical uses only.

Few marijuana retailers have opened their doors in the months since weed became fully legal in Minneapolis. The city has just 0.5 dispensaries per 100,000 residents — about 79% fewer than the average city (2.4). Unfortunately, those dispensaries have failed to make a good impression on customers, who give the retailers an average rating of 2.25 stars out of 5 on Leafly, compared to the average rating of 3.59. 

The good news is Minneapolis residents are passionate about pot, and they search the web for cannabis-related terms about 9% more often than residents in other cities. Interest from the local community will likely draw more retailers to the city, which could help Minneapolis improve in next year’s ranking.

Top 5 Rankings by Category

Pot Polling

Cannabis has been a controversial plant for more than a century in the U.S. To learn more about how attitudes have changed, we surveyed 1,000 Americans on their cannabis perspectives. Here’s what we learned.

1. A Majority of Americans Support Legalizing Cannabis

Ballot measures on recreational marijuana got skunked in the midterm elections, but 55% of respondents still support full cannabis legalization.

Surprisingly, legalization has the most support in the Midwest. Most states in the region ban marijuana for even medical use, but 61% of residents support its legalization.

Meanwhile, 23% of overall respondents oppose cannabis legalization, while 22% are unsure.

2. Nearly 1 in 3 Americans Would Rather Use Weed Than Drink Alcohol

Alcohol is one of the most common vices in America, particularly because cannabis and other now-legal drugs have been off limits to the public until the past decade. If given the choice, 43% of Americans would prefer to drink alcohol over smoking weed.

Alcohol remains the more popular choice across the U.S. except in the West, where the percentage of those who prefer cannabis (36%) is equal to the percentage of those who prefer alcohol (36%). It’s no coincidence that states in this region were some of the first to legalize recreational weed and are home to eight of our top 15 weed cities.

Meanwhile, nearly one-third of Americans (30%) would prefer to use cannabis rather than drink alcohol. Among cannabis users, about 30% say they smoke or vape the plant, while 27% consume it via edibles.

Methodology

To determine the best weed cities, we evaluated several criteria:

• Legality (26%)
• Marijuana passion based on Google search interest (13%)
• Number of retailers per 100,000 residents (13%)
• Medical marijuana prescribing doctors per 100,000 residents (8%)
• Average retailer rating (5%)
• Head shops per 100,000 residents (5%)
• Music venues per 100,000 residents (5%)
• Traffic to Leafly.com (3%)
• Price of medium-quality weed (3%)
• Price of 4 ounces of medium-quality weed as a percentage of annual personal income (3%)
• Price of high-quality weed (3%)
• Price of 4 ounces of high-quality weed as a percentage of annual personal income (3%)
• Fast food restaurants per 100,000 residents (3%)
• Movie theaters per 100,000 residents (3%)
• Hiking trails per 100,000 residents (3%)

Sources for our data include Leafly, the U.S. Census Bureau, the American Community Survey, the Bureau of Economic Analysis, Yelp, Priceofweed.com, and Google Trends.

About Real Estate Witch

You shouldn’t need a crystal ball or magical powers to understand real estate. Since 2016, Real Estate Witch has demystified real estate through in-depth guides, honest company reviews, and data-driven research. In 2020, Real Estate Witch was acquired by Clever Real Estate, a free agent-matching service that has helped consumers save more than $160 million on realtor fees. Real Estate Witch’s research has been featured in CNBC, Yahoo! Finance, Chicago Tribune, Black Enterprise, and more.

About Leafly

As the world’s largest cannabis information resource, Leafly’s mission is to help patients and consumers make informed choices about cannabis and to empower cannabis businesses to attract and retain loyal customers through advertising and technology services. Learn more at Leafly.com.

More Research From Real Estate Witch

We Found the Best Weed Cities in 2023: As cannabis becomes legal in more states, discover how the best weed cities have changed in the past year.

States With Legal Cannabis See $49,000 Boost in Home Appreciation: A rapid rise in property values shows Americans are eager to live in cannabis-friendly states. Learn more.

71% of Americans Believe Legalizing Cannabis Improves States’ Economies: Find out how American attitudes have changed as cannabis use becomes mainstream.

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