Providence ranked No. 10 in the US as a 'weed city,' beating Boston. Here's why.
When it comes to weed, Providence was just ranked the No. 10 best city in the country for marijuana enthusiasts.
That puts it ahead of Boston at No. 11 and Hartford at No. 13
The rankings – put out jointly by marijuana company Leafly and real estate company Real Estate Witch – looked at a wide range of factors when determining their rankings, including legalization, number of dispensaries, prices, Google trends and even the number of visits to Leafly. They didn't stop there though – they considered things like the number of concert venues, movie theaters, hiking trails, and fast food locations, though at a lesser weight.
Here's a look at some of the factors that contributed to Providence beating out Boston.
What are the 'Pot Passion' metric scores for the two cities?
The Real Estate Witch's Pot Passion Score measures the Google search interest.
Providence scored an 80 out of 100
Boston has a Pot Passion Score of 70
The average city had a score of 67
What is the average price for an ounce of weed in both states?
Marijuana is slightly cheaper in Providence than in Boston.
"At $310 an ounce, Providence residents pay slightly below average ($318) for high-quality weed," the ranking said. "But with more dispensaries expected to open in 2024, prices could drop even further as competition increases."
In Boston, the average price for an ounce of high quality marijuana is $337.36 while an ounce of mid-quality marijuana is $276.30.
In Providence, the average price for an ounce of high quality marijuana is $310.26. An ounce of mid-quality marijuana is $261.06.
Average retailer ratings in the two cities (out of five stars)
Real Estate Witch reports that the retailer rating for Boston is 4.19, while the rating for Providence is 4.06. That means that customers are rating the dispensaries highly in both states.
Which city has more pot dispensaries?
Unsurprisingly, Boston won this metric, most likely related to how long marijuana has been legal in both states. Marijuana was legalized in Rhode Island in 2022, while it's been fully legal in Massachusetts since 2016. That gave Massachusetts a lot more time to set up shop.
Providence averaged 2.5 dispensaries per 100,000 residents.
Boston averaged 4.6 dispensaries per 100,000 residents
The overall average was 2.4 dispensaries per 100,000 residents.
How did Providence beat Boston?
Looking at the methodology, the difference in Google Search interest, which was 13% of the total score, and pricing, which represented 12% of the overall score, are likely what put Providence ahead of Boston.
Providence was ranking No. 16 last year.
What is rated as the best city for weed?
Denver is the "top" city in the country for weed-smoking. Real Estate Witch said has 10.4 dispensaries per 100,000 residents, four times the national average of 2.4; An ounce of high quality weed in Denver is $242, the average national price being $318; the average price for an ounce of mid-quality weed in the city is $209.69; retailers in the city are rated at 4.37 out of 5.
At number two on the list of best cities for pot smoking is Portland, Oregon.
The number-three slot goes to Las Vegas, Nevada.
This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com: 'Weed City' ranking put Providence at No. 10 in US. Here's why.