One of the most basic sets of terminology in the world of medical and recreational cannabis is that of cannabis weights. However, many cannabis consumers are unfamiliar with these terms when they hear them for the first time upon entering a dispensary. Knowing the most common cannabis measurements is essential: Weed is generally priced by weight, so how much weed you buy will ultimately determine the price you pay.
To add to the confusion when purchasing any amount of weed, the cannabis industry weighs marijuana using the imperial system of measurement. However, cannabis flower and concentrates are typically weighed by metric units—in grams/ounces—using a digital scale.
Let’s take a closer look at the common cannabis amounts for flower and concentrates to eliminate confusion and share some tips for saving hard-earned money.
Cannabis flower, once dried and cured, is typically sold by weight. The gram (g) serves as the standard unit of measurement for cannabis, though larger units such as ounces (oz) or pounds (lb) are also used.
For easy reference, here are common weed measurements and their gram equivalents:
It’s worth noting, however, that while there are technically 16 ounces in a pound and 28 grams in an ounce, this doesn’t precisely translate to 448 grams in a pound due to rounding. The gram is a metric unit, whereas the pound is an imperial unit commonly used in the US, leading to occasional differences in calculations.
The following cannabis measurements are the most common weights of cannabis flower purchased at a dispensary. Starting with a single gram of cannabis—the smallest amount sold—we will cover everything leading up to an entire pound.
Price: $10-$15
Joints: 1-2
A gram of cannabis is exactly that—a single gram. A gram equals 1/1000 of a kilogram and is the base unit of the metric system.
If rolling half-gram joints, you should be able to roll two joints from 1 gram of cannabis. A gram is one of the most commonly purchased quantities of cannabis due to its affordability, but purchasing larger quantities can get you a price break depending on the market.
The average price of a gram of weed is about $10-$15.
Price: $25-$35
Joints: 7-8
The next level on the cannabis measurement scale is what we refer to as an “eighth,” or an eighth of an ounce. An eighth of weed is equivalent to 3.5 grams of weed.
If rolling average-sized joints, you could expect to get seven to eight joints from an eighth of cannabis flower.
The average price of an eighth of an ounce of weed is around $25-$35.
Price: $65-$75
Joints: 13-14
Moving up, a “quarter” refers to a quarter of an ounce and is equivalent to 7 grams of cannabis. One could expect to be able to roll roughly 14 average-sized joints from a quarter of weed.
The average price of a quarter ounce of weed is $65-$75.
Price: $100-$120
Joints: 28
The next step up from a quarter is a “half,” or “half-o” referring to half of an ounce of cannabis. A half-ounce is equivalent to 14 grams and is roughly the size of a large grapefruit.
A half-ounce of cannabis would yield an average consumer 28 half-gram joints. This is a great quantity of cannabis to purchase if you find a particular strain that you want to keep on hand.
The average price of a half ounce of weed is $100-$110.
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Price: $150-300
Joints: 56
Often the largest amount purchased by a consumer at one time, an entire ounce of cannabis is equivalent to 28 grams.
Some people can roll as many as 90 joints from an ounce of cannabis, but on average, you can expect to roll 56 half-gram joints. Keep in mind that this number can definitely fluctuate depending on how big you roll your joints.
The average price of an ounce of weed can range from $150-$300.
Price: $490-$1,000
Joints: about 900
Although many states limit consumers to buying or possessing an ounce or two of cannabis at a time, the scale does not stop there. A pound—the largest measurement on the common scale—is equivalent to 16 ounces or 448 grams.
You may have also heard of a quarter-pound, which equals 113.4 grams. Wondering how many joints you can roll with this massive amount of cannabis? Let’s just say it’s a lot!
If you live in a state that legally allows purchases of this quantity, buying a pound of weed can be a good way to stock up on a favorite strain. However, keep in mind that large quantities of cannabis can degrade in quality if left sitting for long periods of time and not stored properly. To prevent flower waste, check out a list of tips for choosing cannabis weights at the end of this article.
The price of a pound of weed can vary drastically, though on average it falls between $490-$1,000 per pound.
We get it — sometimes, you just want to make sure that you’re not getting duped by the dispo. Being able to eyeball weed measurements without a scale is a helpful skill when you’re rolling up or just making sure you’re getting what you paid for.
Here’s a quick guide to measuring weed without a scale:
Gram
A gram of cannabis is roughly the size of a quarter, although it is sometimes smaller or larger depending on the density of the bud. For comparison, a single gram of cannabis comes out to approximately the weight of a small paperclip.
For a visual comparison, an eighth of cannabis would be equivalent to the size of an average kiwi and weighs just slightly more than a penny, which weighs in at 3 grams.
If rolled into a ball, a quarter-ounce of weed would be roughly the same size as an apple. A quarter is comparable to the weight of a standard postcard or a pair of tweezers.
When it comes to weight comparison, a half-ounce of cannabis buds would roughly compare to an empty aluminum soda can or a #2 pencil.
Visually, an ounce of flower would be roughly the same size as a small coconut. A good weight comparison to an ounce of weed would be the weight of a compact disc, five quarters, 10 pennies, or a single slice of whole-grain bread.
A pound of cannabis would take up roughly the same space as a watermelon, but it would only weigh as much as an American football.
Hot Tip: If you want to make sure you’re consuming quality cannabis, pay close attention to your weed ash color. Better quality cannabis produces white, soft ash rather than black, chunky ash.
To conclude this guide on common cannabis weights, here is a list of general tips for choosing the amount to purchase.
The term “dime bag” originates from the legacy market — when you could get a bag of weed (normally a gram) for ten dollars. Therefore, a dime bag typically costs $10 and contains one gram of weed.
A dub typically describes $20 worth of weed, which is normally between 1-2 grams of dried flower.
A zip typically refers to one ounce of cannabis. A zip of weed typically costs anywhere around $100-$300.
To measure weed without a scale, keep in mind that 1 gram of weed is approximately the weight of one paper clip and about the size of a quarter. From there, you can estimate higher weed amounts based on the amount of grams you’re measuring.
A cup of whole dry bud is somewhere around 15 grams, though this number depends on the density of the buds.
This guide was originally published in 2022 and most recently updated in May 2024.
I read and enjoyed this article but failed to see any mention of the proverbial “three-finger bag” 🙂
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