If you’re just new to the world of cannabis, then you’ll be shocked at how math is important in the process. Even the best marijuana strains are also measured within a specific unit.
When buying marijuana buds, you can buy small amounts like grams or ounces, or you can get them in bulk. As for the price, the more you buy, the cheaper it is. Though larger quantities of marijuana are possible, it becomes prohibitive and sometimes illegal once you exceed a certain amount.
Also, if you’re walking into a dispensary for the first time, you may hear unfamiliar terms, which can be intimidating. The experience can quickly get very complicated and daunting with slang terms, which may discourage you.
Keep reading to know these slang terms, the most common weed measurements, estimated price, and other related matters.
List of Weed Measurements
Gram, eighth, quarter, ounce—these are the most common weed measurements. So, let’s start with the smallest unit of measurement until we get to the largest scale.
Gram
A gram is a metric unit of mass that is equivalent to one thousand of a kilogram. It is the smallest unit of measurement, making it a perfect choice for cannabis consumers who only want to purchase small amounts. For instance, they want to try a new strain, are just new to marijuana, or don’t consume it frequently.
The rest of the units for measuring cannabis have to do with ounces and are available in full or in fractions.
Eighth
Eighth means an eighth of an ounce or 3.5 grams of weed. This is the most popular weed quantity. For many cannabis users, an eighth of the weed is the perfect amount. It is just enough to consume any time, but not too much. It will allow you to consume your weed before it ages.
Quarter
The next unit of weed measurement is a quarter of weed. This simply refers to a quarter of an ounce, which weighs approximately seven grams. If you want to be exact, a quarter of weed weighs 7.09 grams.
Half
A half is short for a half-ounce weed, weighing around 14 grams.
Ounce
An ounce of weed contains 28.3 grams, but to make it a whole number, most round it down to 28 grams. When buying weed at the dispensary, a full ounce may be the largest amount you can buy due to state laws. But technically, dispensary owners can sell in bigger quantities, such as pounds and kilograms.
Pound
A pound of weed is one of the rarest weed quantities and is mostly used by growers and dispensary owners. It contains 16 ounces of weed, which is considered the largest amount one person can buy at a time. In terms of use, it’s enough weed to last the average smoker a whole year.
Slang Terms for Weed Measurement
The cannabis world vocabulary is full of monikers, nicknames, and slang. There’s a whole language for marijuana that’s not so easy to understand. But, we can help you a little bit when you’re about to buy your own buds.
Here are some of the most common slang terms for purchasing marijuana:
Dime bag
A dime bag is usually the smallest amount of marijuana that you can buy. Generally, it just means a gram of marijuana. However, if you find yourself buying marijuana outside a dispensary, take note that people could infer different things if you say a dime bag.
Though different areas have their own terms, many use this common term when buying the smallest increment of marijuana available.
Weight content: A dime bag is equivalent to one gram of marijuana buds.
Estimated price of a dime bag: Traditionally, it has always been a gram of bud for $10 across the country. However, like any other product, the market value is subject to change. The price of a dime bag will depend on different factors, such as your location and market demand.
Dub of Bud
Now, let’s move on to a dub of bud. Dime bags and dubs are interchangeable to some people, but generally speaking, these two terms are not the same.
Dub is not a big quantity of marijuana. It is roughly the size of two large nuggets of cannabis. Break the buds, and you can use them to make five blunts.
Weight Content: Usually, a dub of bud is equal to two grams of marijuana. The actual quantities may vary depending on your location, but that’s the standard.
Estimated Price: A dub traditionally means any $20-bag of marijuana. However, the actual amount you’ll get will vary depending on the market value of cannabis in your region.
Assuming that we’re talking about the standard two-gram bag, though, you can buy it for around $30 on average.
Eighth of Bud
This amount is where it starts to get serious for your wallet. It’s a bit cheaper compared to the per gram price of dub; however, the eighth allows you to get more at an affordable price.
Regionally, there are different slang ways to say an eighth of bud, such as half a quarter, slice, eify, and cut.
Weight Content: By definition, an eighth contains 3.5 grams. This unit of measurement is less ambiguous compared to others. But, you will find that many of the best legal dispensaries offer four grams instead of 3.5 grams to incentivize buying in bulk instead of buying per gram.
Estimated Price: The price depends on the state and the dispensary, but the general cost of an eighth falls within the $25 to $35 range. It’s a good way to save money, instead of buying by the gram. For instance, if you buy three grams separately, the price ranges between $15 and $20, so this will cost you more than buying an eighth.
Quarter of Bud
A quarter of bud is considered a larger amount of kush and is suitable for frequent marijuana users, those who want to save money by buying in bulk, and those who just have a favorite strain they want in their stash.
The quarter’s typical nickname in the cannabis world is quad. In other regions, though, there may be different terms people use for this measurement.
Weight Content: Since an ounce weighs 28 grams, it means that a quarter of an ounce measures seven grams. It can produce around ten blunts or 12 to 15 joints.
Estimated Price: There’s no expected price for this, but it would probably range from $50 to $70, depending on the quality and the region you live in.
Usually, marijuana with higher potency will cost around $70, whereas mid or lower-top-shelf cannabis is more affordable.
Half a Zip
Now let’s move on to fairly substantial amounts of cannabis. Half a zip means half an ounce. It can last for a long while, especially if you’re just an occasional toker.
Most commonly, you will hear it referred to as a half-ounce bag, half-O, or half an O.
Weight Content: Half a zip or half an ounce is equivalent to 14 grams. Depending on how you roll them, it can make around 20 to 28 blunts or 30 or more joints. It means that if you smoke around one gram of bud or less a day, half an ounce can last for two to three weeks.
Estimated Price: You can buy half a zip for around $100 to $120 on average. This implies that the price per gram ranges from $7 to $10 roughly.
Zip
Zip, also known as a full ounce, is more or less the end of the road for the legal amount of buds. In most states, the legal maximum amount of marijuana an individual can own at a time is one ounce.
Authorities enforce this law because they think that anyone owning more than one ounce has the intent to distribute. Therefore, keep your stash to less than an ounce so that you won’t experience any problems.
The term comes from Ziploc, the original baggie that weed is sold in. You can also hear an ounce referred to as a zone or a lid.
Weight Content: An ounce contains 28 grams, and that can make around 28 to 56 blunts or almost 100 joints.
Estimated Price: The price for an ounce varies based on quality. For poor-quality buds, it can range between $150 and $220 an ounce. For high-quality marijuana, it can cost $240 to $280.
Quarter Pound
The quarter-pound is not for beginners, but this sizable amount can last for a very long time. Because of this, most places prohibit purchasing cannabis in this quantity. However, if you’re a medical patient, you’re allowed to have a substantial amount of marijuana. Usually, patients can keep around 3 to 6 ounces of marijuana.
Weight Content: A quarter-pound is 4 ounces of buds, which comes out to a total of 96 grams. From this, you can get about 60 to 100 blunts or more than 200 joints, so this is lots of marijuana.
Estimated Price: A retail option for a quarter-pound is difficult to find since the price depends on different factors. On average, a quarter pound of bud can cost around $800 in legal states, whereas in non-legal states or in regions where cannabis production isn’t abundant, it can range from $1000 to $1500.
Conversion Chart
Here’s a quick reference chart on the equivalent of each weed measurement slang term in ounces and grams:
- 1 dime bag = 0.04 ounce = 1 gram
- 1 dub of bud = 0.07 ounce = 2 grams
- 1 eighth = 0.12 ounce = 3.5 grams
- 1 quarter = 0.25 ounce = 7 grams
- 1 half zip = 0.5 ounce = 14 grams
- 1 zip = 1 ounce = 28 grams
- 1 quarter pound = 4 ounces = 113 grams
Marijuana Grams to Ounces and Vice-versa
| Grams | Ounces | Ounces | Grams |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 g | 0.04 oz | 1 oz | 28.35 g |
| 2 g | 0.07 oz | 2 oz | 56.70 g |
| 3 g | 0.11 oz | 3 oz | 85.05 g |
| 4 g | 0.14 oz | 4 oz | 113.40 g |
| 5 g | 0.18 oz | 5 oz | 141.75 g |
| 6 g | 0.21 oz | 6 oz | 170.10 g |
| 7 g | 0.25 oz | 7 oz | 198.45 g |
| 8 g | 0.28 oz | 8 oz | 226.80 g |
| 9 g | 0.32 oz | 9 oz | 255.15 g |
| 10 g | 0.35 oz | 10 oz | 283.5 g |
| 20 g | 0.70 oz | 20 oz | 567 g |
| 30 g | 1.06 oz | 30 oz | 850.5 g |
| 40 g | 1.41 oz | 40 oz | 1134 g |
| 50 g | 1.76 oz | 50 oz | 1417.5 g |
| 60 g | 2.12 oz | 60 oz | 1701 g |
| 70 g | 2.47 oz | 70 oz | 1984.5 g |
| 80 g | 2.82 oz | 80 oz | 2268 g |
| 90 g | 3.17 oz | 90 oz | 2551.5 g |
| 100 g | 3.53 oz | 100 oz | 2835 g |
Different Ways To Measure Weed
There are various ways of weighing weed. Keep on reading below to see the details.
Use a piece of paper
Get a piece of paper from a notebook and fold it in half. Then place it on a flat surface in a way that it looks like a scout’s tent. Get another piece of paper and fold it into four equal parts. The center should look like a tent, too. Place this paper on top of the first one. Alternatively, you can use a stick like the picture below.
This will create a paper scale since two of the four folded parts would stick out from both sides of the folded paper. So, place the weed on one side, then a one-dollar bill on the other side. A dollar bill roughly weighs one gram; therefore, it means you can measure weed up to one gram.
Take note that a paper scale can only measure more or less 1 gram of weed.
Use a Ruler
Use a ruler and a penny to make a temporary scale. Just balance the ruler on your finger like how you did during your childhood. Place the penny on one end (each penny weighs 2.5 grams), and the weed on the other end.
In case you need additional support, use a firm and stable item to balance the makeshift scale. It could be something like an eraser or a paperweight.
Use a Cellphone
We can’t take paper, rulers, or pennies everywhere, but we always have our cellphones in our pockets or bags.
What makes these smartphones even smarter is that they already have weighing scale apps like Weight Scale Estimator that can help you measure any amount of weed quickly.
However, the problem with these apps is they may be inconsistent measurements. Some of them may need to be calibrated first, so do that each time you weigh your weed so that you can get a more accurate reading.
Use a Weed Scale
This is the most accurate and simple way to measure weed. It is more precise and usually, they don’t cost too much. You can also use it to weigh other items, so it can be a multi-purpose device.
When looking for the best weed scale, consider the following factors:
- Always buy a scale that is precise within 0.1 grams for accurate measurements.
- Don’t use kitchen scales as some of them do not give precise measurements.
- Save money by buying scales from online stores because brick-and-mortar stores tend to be more expensive.
Conclusion
After reading this post, you’re now ready to buy your weed. You’re now familiar with the measurements as well as the slang terms people use when purchasing weed.
If you want to ensure that you’re getting what you’re paying for, you can get yourself a weed scale. But even if one isn’t available, you can try any of the alternatives mentioned above. They will help you recheck the weight of the bud you just purchased.
