The numbers may be little off but they are a good average and very close.
Ok lets assume your room is 4*6 with 2000watts and flowering is 77 days. You want to provide a high grade medication that is organically grown in a controlled environment. Lets assume that you are a master grower and can get 4 dried lb. in this area and with this lighting.
Expense
Lease lets say 800 per month
2053
Electricity (fans, cooling, pumps, lights, etc)
288
Nutrients lets say Botanicarepro bloom, liquid karma, and cal-Mag,
150
Plants ready to flower 78
1560
Supplies ph control and other control , pots, etc
200
Water
90
Labor lets say 1hr per day at 20 bucks per hr
770
Labor to finish trim lets say 4hr per dried lb.
320
Filters fans other stuff that needs replacement
300
5731 dollars total
So this averages out to around 57 dollars per ounce. Now lets not forget that the industry is still illegal under federal law, so do you think you might want to be prepared to pay legal bills? You might think about making a little for yourself, I mean just a little for yourself.
4lb is 64 ounces, 64 ounces times 25 dollars is 1600 dollars. Thats a 4131 dollar loss. Even if you take out the ready to flower clones the loss is still 2571 dollars, but then we would have to add the cost of seeds, vegetation, cloning, and vegetating the clones back into the total loss. Hell lets take out the lease; you still have a loss of 518 dollars. Lets say its a labor of love take the labor out (our still getting paid for the trim work), there you go you just cleared 252 dollars.
Realistically you will need more space, more time, more electricity, well more everything to produce 4 lb. of quality medical marijuana. You will probably be lucky to produce 2.5 to 3 lb. Lets be honest quality and quantity arent found together very often, plus you are probably providing multiple patients with different needs so you need different strains for the different patients. Thats going cost the provider more time, space, equipment, and etc
If you are providing your meds to a coop or a broker there will be a wholesale price, then a middle man price, and then a retail price. Now if the retail price is 25 dollars per ounce the grower will be getting another chunk added to the loss.
Im not saying prices shouldnt be reasonable but the caregiver or provider is still committing a federal felony, and risking their life and freedom to provide for someone elses needs. I think that the caregiver or provider is entitled to a little compensation for their hard work and sacrifices dont you?
Also realize that the growers (for the most part) aren't the ones making 500 dollars an ounce in the first place; not even close in most cases.