Weed Measurements: Guide
Weed measurements are a lot more complicated than the uninitiated would like them to be. It’s very easy to get confused. Sometimes it’s metric grams, sometimes it’s imperial ounces. Every once in a while, a measurement will be referred to as a letter or a completely made-up word that doesn’t apply to anything else you’d ever measure.
Connecting measurements to the way you’d use them make it easier to learn and remember how much you need for which types of products. Flower, joints, vapes, and concentrates are all measured slightly differently.
How much is an eighth of weed?
A lot of people prefer to buy in eighths if they want to try new strains or if they only smoke weed socially. An eighth is enough to last a weekend or two in the right company.
The “eighth” measurement refers to an eighth of an ounce, which is technically 3.5 grams (we’ll talk more about grams below). It’s not unusual to see a dispensary eighth that contains 4 grams. Growers and manufacturers always want to incentivize bulk buying, and you get the benefits. Who complains about more weed for less money?
It’s not unusual to pick up an eighth of a really popular strain, like Wedding or Ice Cream Cake, for somewhere around $20. It’s almost the same as getting double the amount of weed for your money. Even if you don’t smoke regularly, eighths are so economically priced that it barely makes sense to get less than an eighth.
This won’t always be the case. Very high quality and very high potency weed can sometimes go up to $70 for an eighth. Most of the time, it’s worth the splurge. Highly coveted strains like Super Silver Haze are usually somewhere between $50 and $60 an eighth. If quality and potency are the most important things to you, this is probably what you can expect to spend.
Go for an eighth if you’re a weekend weed warrior or if you want to try a new strain to see if you like it. It’s an affordable amount that gives you just enough without committing you to weeks of smoking the same thing.
Grams, joints, and blunts.
A gram is usually one big bud or two smaller buds. It’s the amount you’d use to fill a king-sized joint that you’d pass between a few people. It can also be used to roll a modest blunt. A normal joint for two people or a regular smoker contains about half a gram in a standard-sized rolling paper or cone. If you’re smoking a normal amount alone, ¼ of a gram will give you a joint similar in size to the average cigarette.
A big blunt can contain anywhere between two or three grams. The average blunt you’d share with a group of five people is roughly this size. Packwoods’ blunts are famous for packing two grams of flower, .25 grams of kief, and .25 grams of concentrate into a single preroll.
One gram is often called a dimebag, and two grams is often called a dub. These measurements and names correlate to street slang from the dark ages, while states were still keeping our weed from us. A dimebag, or a gram, used to cost about $10. A dub, or two grams, went for about $20.
The prices for recreational weed aren’t that much different now. It largely depends on the quality of the weed. You’ll sometimes find great weed for even less expensive than $10 a gram because it’s grown efficiently and there’s no risk in getting it from the grower to the consumer in states where recreational cannabis is regulated.
How much is a quarter of weed?
A quarter refers to a quarter of an ounce, which is seven grams. This is the most popular amount that a regular smoker would purchase at one time. An occasional smoker with a strong affinity for a particular strain might also prefer to buy it a quarter and a time and store it properly to keep it fresh.
You start to see substantial savings when you bump up to a quarter. A quarter is double the amount of an eighth, but gram for gram, it’s likely to cost you much less. It will often cost as much as $10 less overall than buying two eighths.
How much is a half-ounce of weed?
Half an ounce is 14 grams, which is a lot of pot. If you smoke a gram a day, half an ounce will last you two weeks. To put that into perspective, that’s one “big boy” joint to yourself daily. Regular users, people with a higher tolerance, and people who use cannabis medically can easily use that much on a daily basis.
It’s not unusual for prices to boil down to about $7 a gram when you buy a half-ounce at a time. It’s a very economical way to purchase if weed is a part of your daily life.
How much is an ounce of weed?
We go straight from a half-ounce to an ounce. There isn’t anything in between. This giant 28-gram jar or bag of pot is as much as you can legally purchase at once in many states, whether legal or recreational. It’s also the Costco-sized portion of weed. It’s what you’d want if there were a storm coming or if you might get snowed in. You’ll get a blunt a day for a month out of an ounce.
An ounce can run around $200 for a lovingly grown and tasty strain, which is about $7 a gram. If you’re getting an ounce of something really top shelf, the price can be more than double. Top shelf weed isn’t necessarily stronger, but many people have preferences.
Think about it like a fine bottle of wine. A $100 bottle of wine will be incredible and provide a great experience. A $500 bottle of wine is something extremely fancy. It does the same thing a $100 bottle of wine does, but the experience isn’t as luxurious or as special.
What about vapes and extracts?
Vapes and extracts are much more potent than flower. Flower might have 25% THC per gram. A vape cartridge may contain over 80% THC per gram. Cartridges and disposable pens contain half a gram or one gram per cartridge, but they’re substantially more potent. If you’re using vape cartridges on a daily basis, you might find that a half-gram cartridge can last you two weeks.
Extracts come in one-gram jars, and they’re typically just as highly concentrated as vapes. When you’re using an extract, you load a tiny spoonful onto a dab rig. A “dab” is a relative measurement, but a standard jar will get you anywhere between 10 and 20 servings, usually closer to 20.
Extracts vary in price, but many of them cost about the same as what you would expect to pay for an eighth or 3.5 grams. That’s three big joints and one small joint, or up to 20 uses. It’s a little more economical (and tasty) to go for an extract instead of flower if you want something high quality and flavor is important to you. Of course, you’re sacrificing portability and will need special equipment to use extracts, and that might factor into your decision.
The takeaway
Knowing how much weed is necessary to roll a joint or a blunt makes it much easier to conceptualize how much weed you really need.
If you’re trying something new, always go with the smallest possible measurement. You don’t want to overcommit to something you’re not in love with and get stuck with weed you don’t want to smoke. Approach with caution, and go all-in when you find the right stuff.
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[…] Half an ounce is 14 grams, which is a lot of pot. If you smoke a gram a day, half an ounce will last you two weeks. To put that into perspective, that’s one “big boy” joint to yourself daily. Regular users, people with a higher tolerance, and people who use cannabis medically can easily use that much on a daily basis. […]