Cannabis wholesale in the United States runs inside state borders. A licensed cultivator in Oregon cannot ship flower to a dispensary in Nevada. Federal law bars interstate sale of cannabis. Buyers are licensed retailers and delivery operators. Sellers are licensed cultivators, manufacturers, and distributors. Every package moves with a state track-and-trace tag and a transport manifest.

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Who sells and who buys

State license systems split the supply chain into tiers. Common tiers:

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Some states let one company hold multiple licenses. A few medical markets required vertical integration in their first years. Florida's medical program ran that way from 2017. Rules change each legislative session. Check the state registry for the current license list.

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Federal status

Cannabis sits on Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. In 2024 the DEA proposed moving it to Schedule III. That rule was not final as of this writing. A schedule change alone would not create an interstate wholesale market. Congress would need to act, or federal enforcement policy would need to shift. The Rohrabacher-Blumenauer appropriations amendment blocks Justice Department spending on medical cannabis enforcement in states that allow it. It does not cover adult-use programs.

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Product categories in wholesale

Catalogs break into groups by form and unit.

Testing and batch records

State labs test each batch before sale. Standard panels cover potency, pesticides, heavy metals, microbial contamination, residual solvents, and water activity. The lab issues a certificate of analysis. A COA lists batch numbers, test dates, and pass or fail results. Wholesale buyers match the COA batch number to the package tag and the manifest.

Track and trace

Most states run Metrc or a similar seed-to-sale system. Plants get tags at the mother stage. Packages get a new tag at each transfer. A manifest lists the driver, vehicle, route, and tag numbers. Product that leaves a licensed facility without a manifest is untracked and illegal, even inside a legal state.

Pricing

Wholesale prices are set by each state. There is no national price. Flower prices fell in mature markets after 2021. Oversupply in Oregon, California, and Colorado pushed some pounds below $500. Prices in newer markets ran several times higher. Cannabis Benchmarks publishes weekly spot indexes by state and product type. Terms vary. Net 15 and net 30 invoicing exists, but cash on delivery is common.

Payment

Federal prohibition keeps most card networks out. Cannabis businesses pay in cash, by debit through services built for the industry, or by ACH. Credit card processors that accept cannabis accounts operate outside card network rules. Buyers should expect to reconcile payments by hand.

Taxes

IRS code section 280E blocks standard business deductions for companies trafficking in Schedule I or II substances. That leaves cost of goods sold as the main deduction. States add excise taxes at cultivation, wholesale, or retail. Rates differ. As of 2024, Washington charged 37 percent at retail, California 15 percent, and Colorado 15 percent plus state and local sales tax.

How to vet a wholesale supplier

  1. Pull the license number from the state registry and confirm it is active.
  2. Ask for COAs for the exact batches offered.
  3. Confirm tags match the manifest at delivery.
  4. Request a sample order before a full case.
  5. Check product liability insurance.
  6. Agree on return terms for failed batches.

What is not known

There is no federal wholesale cannabis market. No interstate shipping. Federal rescheduling status can change. License counts, prices, and tax rates change every year.