We’ve all heard expressions like dime bag, eyeballing it, or pre-rolls, but what does that actually mean? How much is a gram of marijuana? How much is an ounce of weed? Not only how much should I spend, but what does that amount actually look like?

Now that cannabis consumption has become a part of the economic mainstream as a publicly traded commodity, we can stop talking in funny codes and obscure slang words to express amounts and prices. If you can buy weed stocks, you can follow your investment using common weights and measurements.

These are questions that consumers ask about the products they buy and it’s time to provide some answers.

How Much THC? Strong, Medium, and Mild Levels

These days there are so many different types of cannabis available in just as many forms that weight is no longer the deciding factor. THC level or growing method, like organic versus hydrophobic, can also determine the price. Cannabis laws still vary widely between countries and regions, which also affects prices.

An interesting example of how this works is the difference between the price of cannabis grown indoors instead of outdoors. Indoor grows were developed as a response to the need for stealth and secrecy, and take considerably more capital and labour to construct. Therefore a type of cannabis grown indoors is generally priced at a more expensive level than outdoor strains of the same weight.

Growing a crop using hydroponics results in a crop with a higher than average THC level. Strains of marijuana with a higher THC level are more costly than weaker strains. Concentrates are sold in smaller units but are often much stronger than buds or edible products.

Another new factor today is the growing popularity of CBD. When buying for CBD content as opposed to THC levels, prices tend to change. CBD is still a fairly new phenomenon and is almost exclusively placed in the medical marijuana category. It is often specially produced by only a few dedicated growers.   

How Much Cannabis Is That, Anyway?

Marijuana is typically sold according to weight, in either grams or ounces. We’re not sure how the metric units got mixed up with imperial ones, but it might have something to do with the size of a kilogram.

Measurements based on smaller, Imperial standards are more portable. A full kilo, which is 1000 grams or more than two pounds, might work out to a small hay bale. Remember, this is when your smuggling ability was a factor in buying and selling cannabis.  Now that you can buy legal marijuana of course, it’s a different ball game.

Today, weights follow the same tradition. Cannabis sales start in grams and them move into Imperial measurements. You’ve heard this expressions before. Each of them refers to an ounce as the default unit of measurement.

There are several different ways to determine how much a gram is if you’re not comfortable making an estimate and you don’t have a scale. Several free apps are available that can turn your smartphone into a scale so you don’t have to guess anymore.

Check the internet for simple scales you can build at home with little more than a few common pieces of office supplies. Another handy life hack is to keep in mind that a cap from a water or soda bottle typically holds a gram of weed.

Here’s a short glossary of the most common expressions.

• Gram. The smallest unit of measurement in which cannabis is sold. Think of two small joints or one fairly fat one, and that’s how much a gram of marijuana looks like.

• 2 grams. Dispensaries that sell cannabis online in Canada and the United States measure in two gram units. Actual weed prices vary from province to province and state to state. 

• Eighth. Literally an eighth of an ounce, or three and a half grams. This size is very commonly purchased and the media often uses the “eighth” and the gram measurement as a frame of reference.  

• Quarter.  Seven grams, or a quarter of an ounce. If you cook with your cannabis, you are likely buy in larger sizes like “the quarter”. This is the minimum amount required to start cooking budder and other cannabis-infused recipes.

• Half. Also referred to as a “half O”, this size is often associated with both cooking and making concentrates.  You’re getting roughly fourteen grams at this bulk-buying stage.

• Ounce. There are 28 grams in an ounce, which is the same amount required in most budder cooking recipes. If you like making budder or infusing oils and other beverages with cannabis, buying in this size is a good investment.  Oddly enough, we’ve found the question of how many grams in an ounce of weed answered incorrectly all over the internet!  

• Quarter Pound. 113 grams of marijuana is ideal for a long term supply for conventional smoking accessories. It’s also a good amount for infusing food and beverages and making smaller amounts of concentrates.  You should be getting into serious discount territory at this point in the ball game.

• Half Pound. You’ll hear this unit referred to as a “half pounder”. 226 grams of cannabis is a healthy supply but be prepared to pay in excess of $1,000. 

• Pound. 455 grams of cannabis is just as impressive as it sounds. Outside of medical use, making concentrates, or bulk purchases, marijuana is rarely sold in this size.

Times have changed and there’s no longer a need to buy pre-weighed bags from your friendly neighborhood dealer. Virtually all dispensaries will sell by the gram in any unit you choose but this can vary widely depending on your location.

Do I Buy an Ounce or a Gram to Smoke, Eat, or Vape?

Let’s not forget about other pertinent concerns. Everyone has a different method of consumption, and that is a deciding factor in the amount of pot you buy. For example, does a vaporizer consume the same amount of marijuana as a conventional pipe?

The following guides are based on average sizes as opposed to party or fun sizes. Certain guidelines are applicable across a variety of smoking traditions. Evenly ground cannabis burns better and lasts longer than weed that is crumbled by hand.

A gram of a pure Kush strain might be more expensive, but it will get you higher faster than an eighth of more common cannabis flowers. 

Joints and Blunts

A joint is rolled using an average sized paper and is contains about 1 gram of cannabis, or a simple dime bag. A blunt is essentially a cannabis cigar, rolled either using a hollowed out store-bought cigar or a separate casing like a tobacco leaf.

Blunts tend to be at least twice as heavy, containing a minimum of 2 grams of cannabis, but as they are often hand-rolled to an individual’s taste this can vary.

Pipes, Bongs, and Waterpipes 

This covers such an incredible variety of smoking accessories and paraphernalia. Some pipes are built for show while others are meticulously designed to be the best handheld smoking devices in existence.

Standard pipes and bongs are built with a bowl to hold a gram of cannabis, but there are literally thousands of different styles. Water pipes are intended to accommodate several people and have larger than average bowls.

Vaporizers

What was a fairly complicated, expensive, and cumbersome tabletop machine two decades ago now comes in various streamlined versions. You can still buy an old-school, multi-person vaporizer that fits in with your living room like an appliance, or you can invest in a discreet and efficient hand held version.

Advances in vaporizer technology offer you both options and everything in between. If you can afford a vaporizer upfront, this is the ideal method for getting the most from the smallest amount of weed.

Rules of Thumb for determining an Ounce of Marijuana and How Many Grams of Marijuana are Needed

At last, the time has come when marijuana consumers can use conventional weights and measurements. Not only how much should it cost, but how much marijuana do you need, for what and why?

How much is a gram of cannabis? Is it enough to pack the bowl for the night? Just remember our lid of a pop bottle reference.

How much is an ounce of marijuana? Can I make a week’s worth of cannabis budder with that amount?  Depending how much cannabis budder you like to use… probably!

Or – if you’re more creative – would half a pound be enough for Christmas stocking stuffers in eighths and quarters for everyone on my list? Depends how many stockings you are stuffing.  As long as mine is one of them – I’d say go for it!