Getting comfortable with the most common weed weights and measurements can really come in handy when shopping for cannabis products. Gram, eighth, quarter, ounce—there are plenty of ways to measure cannabis, and just as many slang terms to go with them.
Ultimately, these cannabis measurements can make shopping for marijuana by weight feel confusing fast.
In this article, we’ll cover the basics of weed measurements, including the weight of each amount, the meaning of slang terms, the average prices, and how much cannabis you can consume for each weight.
Cannabis flower, also called buds, are dried, cured, and sold by weight, usually in grams. While most products use metric units, cannabis products use imperial terms like ounces and pounds. Dispensary packaging lists cannabis’s weight in these terms.
Knowing these standard weights like grams, eighths, quarters, and ounces—plus common slang like “dime bag” or “dub”—makes shopping for cannabis easier and helps you get the most for your money.
Most people buy flower in small amounts, but purchasing larger quantities is also common, especially for medical cannabis patients who can buy marijuana in higher weight quantities. Dispensaries commonly run bulk sales on flower, which can lead to steep discounts when buying higher cannabis weight quantities.
If you’re growing cannabis at home, weighing your harvest plays a key role during the jarring process and helps you track yields for future growing seasons.
When measuring cannabis flower, a few common measuring tools and techniques include:
Digital Scales: These deliver highly accurate weight readings, often down to 0.01 grams. Most come with a tare function, letting you zero out the weight of a container before adding cannabis so you get an exact measurement of just the product.
Analog Scales: Analog scales display weight using a dial and are known for their durability. While they’re less precise than digital scales, they don’t rely on batteries, making them a reliable backup.
Volume Measurements: Cannabis users use volume measurements in specific situations, like measuring finely ground flower or liquid concentrates, even though weight is the standard method.
If you don’t have a scale handy and want to estimate cannabis weights by appearance and feel roughly, use this quick visual guide:
Gram: You can eyeball a gram of cannabis by comparing it to the size of a quarter. Depending on how dense the bud is, it may look smaller or larger. In terms of weight, a gram feels about the same as a small paper clip.
Eighth (3.5 grams): An eighth of weed looks about the size of an average kiwi and weighs just over a penny (3 grams).
Quarter (7 grams): If rolled into a ball, a quarter-ounce of cannabis would resemble the size of an apple. It’s similar to a standard postcard or a pair of metal tweezers for weight reference.
Half (14 grams): A half-ounce of bud weighs about the same as a #2 pencil or an empty aluminum soda can. It looks like a small handful of popcorn, about the size of a medium tennis ball, or a slightly larger grapefruit.
Ounce (28 grams): Visually, an ounce of flower takes up about as much space as a small coconut. You can compare its weight to a compact disc, five quarters, 10 pennies, or a slice of whole-grain bread.
Pound (453 grams): A pound of cannabis is about the size of a watermelon and weighs roughly the same as an American football.
Here’s a simple, quick breakdown of the most common weed measurements:
These measurements help keep things consistent, whether the cannabis consumer is buying a little or a lot.
While dispensaries will have the actual weights listed, you may hear others refer to these weed weights in slang terms in person or online, such as:
READ: A Quick Start Guide to Making Cannabis Tinctures
While every dispensary will differ in rates, several other factors influence the price of cannabis, such as:
The average ranges in cost, and the estimated number of joints you could roll out of each weight (depending on the size of each joint) include:
A gram is the smallest amount of cannabis you can buy and is perfect for trying out a new strain. A gram is usually enough to roll one or two joints, depending on how big you like them.
An eighth is one of the most popular cannabis amounts. It’s an excellent option for a few days of personal use, casual sharing, or getting a more significant sampling of a new strain.
A quarter gives you twice the amount of flower as an eighth, making it a solid choice if you’ve found a strain you enjoy. It’s ideal when you want more than just a few consumption sessions and need a stash that lasts a bit longer.
A half-ounce is perfect for regular cannabis users who want to stock up on their favorite strain without running out too quickly. It typically yields about 28 half-gram joints and offers a cost-effective way to buy in bulk. If you buy this quantity or more, it’s crucial to store your cannabis correctly to maintain its freshness and potency.
An ounce is the legal possession limit in many states and often gives you the best price per gram. It’s a wise choice if you want to stock up significantly on your favorite strains and take advantage of bulk discounts.
You typically won’t find a pound for sale at an average dispensary, but it is a common measurement for growers or bulk buyers in legal markets.
If you want to save even more money buying cannabis, especially in bulk weights, having a medical marijuana card is ideal. Medical marijuana cardholders often have exclusive benefits, including:
Understanding weed weights, prices, slang, and measuring tools makes cannabis shopping and growing easier and more informed, especially for beginners.
Knowing how much you’re buying and what it’s worth helps you avoid overpaying and choose the right amount for your cannabis consumption frequency. Obtaining or renewing a medical marijuana card enables you to save more on bulk cannabis by lowering costs, increasing purchase limits, and purchasing exclusive products.
Most people weigh weed in grams, but sellers often list larger quantities in fractions of an ounce, like an eighth (3.5g), a quarter (7g), or a full ounce (28g). Using a digital or analog scale ensures measuring your cannabis accurately, so you’re getting exactly what you’re paying for.
One gram of weed usually rolls one to two standard-sized joints, depending on how much you pack into each one.
The number of buds in a gram varies based on the strain, density, and trimming, but you’ll typically get one to three small buds.
Ten grams is just under a half-ounce (14g) and enough for about 20 to 30 joints, depending on size. It’s a good middle-ground quantity for regular cannabis users.
Seven grams, or a quarter ounce, is enough to roll roughly 10 to 14 joints. It’s a popular size for people who’ve found a strain they enjoy and want more than just a few consumption sessions.
Growers and consumers measure weed quality by evaluating its appearance, aroma, trichome coverage, potency, and how well it was grown and cured. The top-shelf flower typically costs more because it looks better, smells stronger, and delivers more potent effects. If you want to check for quality after purchase, watch the ash color after you burn your weed. High-quality cannabis typically leaves behind soft, white ash, while poor-quality bud often produces dark, chunky ash.
Fourteen grams is a half-ounce of cannabis—about enough to fill a small sandwich bag loosely. It typically yields around 28–30 half-gram joints, which is excellent for regular cannabis users, which is excellent for regular cannabis users.
I read and enjoyed this article but failed to see any mention of the proverbial “three-finger bag” 🙂
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