Sometimes, you walk into a dispensary and see prices that make you stop and wonder if anyone behind the scenes actually shops in the same market they sell to. Case in point: a 5mg edible priced at eight dollars. On the same shelf, you’ll find 100mg products for $10 to $15. That kind of price gap doesn’t just raise eyebrows, it raises real questions about how some brands approach the market.
Consumers today are smarter, savvier, and far more value-conscious than ever before. We’re not in 2020 anymore, when almost anything infused would sell just because it was available. The Illinois market is saturated, competition is tight, and customers have learned how to compare not only flavor or branding, but cost per milligram, consistency, and actual experience.
So when a consumer sees a 5mg product for nearly the same price as a full 100mg shot, the decision is easy, they’ll reach for the one that delivers real value. That’s not being cheap; that’s just being a smart shopper. And brands who ignore that reality shouldn’t be shocked when their inventory collects dust while competitors get restocked week after week.
The issue isn’t that small-dose products shouldn’t exist, they absolutely have their place. Some consumers prefer microdosing or want lighter effects. But if that’s the case, the price should reflect it. Charging premium prices for minimal potency disconnects from what the market actually demands.
This is why it’s so important for brands to be strategic and truly understand the markets they operate in. Illinois consumers, especially medical patients and regular recreational users, are highly aware of product value. They’ll compare pricing, quality, and the milligrams-per-dollar ratio before committing to a purchase. Brands that don’t keep up with that behavior are setting themselves up for failure.
At the end of the day, pricing should always align with both value and intent. If a brand wants to create low-dose, entry-level edibles, that’s fine, but they should be priced accordingly. The success of a product doesn’t just depend on how it tastes or how fast it hits, but on whether the consumer feels like they got their money’s worth.
When companies forget that, they lose touch with the people who keep this industry alive. And when that happens, no amount of marketing or rebranding can make up for the fact that their products simply don’t make sense on the shelf.
I always want to highlight the brands that are doing it right, the ones offering real value, consistency, and higher-dose options that meet the needs of everyday consumers. Companies like Kanha, Realeaf Botanicals, Journeyman Shots, and Daze Off Taste Buds Shots continue to show what smart pricing and quality formulation look like in the Illinois market. These are the kinds of products that move because they make sense, affordable, effective, and built with the consumer in mind.
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