If you’re unfamiliar with cannabis, it might come as a shock that there is an entirely separate dictionary used to describe marijuana. For example, there are different terms for the types of weed strains, rolling techniques, and even measurements.
Though many believe that understanding weed measurements is a breeze, it’s actually quite complicated. For example, marijuana dispensaries sell cannabis by the gram, eight ball, or ounce—but how much do these terms represent? It doesn’t matter if you want to buy little or a lot of weed; what matters most is knowing your measurement abbreviations.
Generally, it costs less per gram the more cannabis you purchase. However, potency and quality are important factors to keep in mind when making your decision. Flowers, joints, vapes and concentrates are all dosed slightly differently so be sure to educate yourself on the different measurement metrics before heading to the dispensary.
How much is an eighth of weed?
Many people choose to buy weed in eighths if they want to experiment with new strains or only smoke recreationally. An eighth can provides weeks’ worth of supply for the average person.
The “eighth” is shorthand for an eighth of an ounce or 3.5 grams. Sometimes you might see a dispensary selling eighths that have 4 grams in them – the growers and manufacturers are trying to give buyers a little extra incentive to buy more weed at once! And who doesn’t love getting more bang for their buck?
You can usually buy an eighth of a very popular strain, like Wedding or Ice Cream Cake, for 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.
When considering price, remember that premium strains can cost up to $70 for an eighth. Super Silver Haze, a highly sought-after strain, is typically around $50-$60 per eighth. If quality and potency are your main concerns, this is probably the price range you’ll be looking at.
If you’re new to weed or just don’t want to commit to a large quantity, go for an eighth. It’s cheap and will give you enough of the strain so that you can try it out and see if you like it without having weeks’ worth left over.
Common Cannabis Weight Measurements
The following are the most common weight measurements used in the cannabis industry:
Gram
Generally, the smallest amount of cannabis flowers you can purchase from a dispensary is one gram. This amount can comfortably produce 1 to 2 joints and is considered a great choice among light recreational users who are looking trying something new.
Eighth
An eighth of weed is 3.5 grams and gets its name from being an eighth of one ounce. 8 eighths are in an ounce. Most people who use marijuana would need this amount for a group throughout the weekend, but some users may be able to finish it throughout the day. While buying three one-gram packages of cannabis might initially sound like a better deal, people usually end up getting more bang for their buck when they purchase an eighth instead. To put it in simpler terms, an eighth can be rolled into roughly 7 half-gram joints or 14 quarter-gram bowls. How much an eighth cost varies based on the quality of the cannabis–anywhere from as low as 25 dollars to as high as 60 dollars.
Quarter
A quarter of an ounce, or seven grams, is what you get when you buy a quarter. As the name suggests, it’s 1/4th of an ounce. It can also be referred to as ‘Q’ for short. Also known as a quad, quarters allow heavy smokers to get familiar with new strains without having to commit to buying an entire ounce at once. The price tag on weed depends upon various things such as your location and the quality. It could cost you $50 or it could be $100 for a quarter-ounce (7 grams). Even though more companies are selling cannabis by the quarters, this unit of measurement isn’t nearly as popular as grams or eighths—usually, if you want to buy a quad (4 ounces), you’ll need to purchase two separate eighths.
Half Ounce
A half-ounce of cannabis, or a ‘half-O’, weighs 14 grams. This is usually enough for most recreational users over the course of two weeks.
Ounce
28.5 grams equals one ounce of weed, which is the legal limit an individual can possess at any given time in several states–including California where you’re able to carry 8 additional grams of cannabis concentrate. Ounces are also considered the central standard “complete” unit in the world of cannabis, so while it’s not a feasible purchase for many recreational users, it’s certainly something aficionados prefer. In popular culture, this quantity is sometimes referred to as a “zip.”
What about vapes and extracts?
Vapes and extracts contain much higher levels of THC than flower does. For example, while one gram of flower might only have 25% THC, a vape cartridge containing the same amount of weed could have over 80% THC. Similarly, cartridges and disposable pens usually come in sizes ranging from half a gram to one full gram, but they are way more potent in comparison to regular joints. In fact, if you use vape cartridges daily, you will find that even a half-gram cartridge can last as long as two weeks. In addition, extracts come in jars that have one Gram each—and these are usually just as concentrated as vapes (if not more potent). When you use an extract, you load a small amount onto a dab rig. A “dab” is a rough measurement, but on average, one standard jar will give you between 10 and 20 servings.
Like most products, there is a range in prices for extracts. However, many of them are priced around the same as an eighth or 3.5 grams of the product. That’s three big joints and one small joint- or up to 20 uses total. If you’re looking for something high quality that tastes good, extracts are more economical (and tasty) than flowers. Of course, you have to keep in mind that they aren’t as portable as flowers and require special equipment for use; these might be factors in your final decision.
Conclusion
Being able to estimate the amount of marijuana you need for a joint or blunt will save you from purchasing more than necessary.
When you’re trying something new, always go with the smallest available size. This way, you won’t be stuck with too much of something you end up not enjoying. Start slow and only commit to larger quantities when you’re sure you’ll love it.