Guide To Measuring Cannabis

So you’ve made it to the dispensary, and you’ve even picked out the marijuana flower you’re planning to bring home. Then, the budtender asks you how much you’re interested in purchasing. As cannabis experts, they will absolutely help you decide how much marijuana to purchase, but it’s also nice to come in prepared. That’s why we’ve created this guide to marijuana measurements. We’ll cover some of the most common cannabis weights that dispensaries sell, including ounces, grams, half ounces, eighths, and more.

If you’ve grown up in the US, you know we love our imperial system of measurements, including feet, miles, ounces, gallons, and so on. Across the pond, they use the metric system, such as meters, liters, and grams. The marijuana industry in the US borrows from the Europeans and utilizes the metric system to measure marijuana, weighing flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, and more in grams, milligrams, and milliliters.

If cannabis measurements are feeling like a lot of math, and math isn’t your strong suit, don’t stress. It’s actually a lot easier than it seems. You can use this cannabis weights chart for a reference:

1 gram = 1/28 of an ounce

3.5 grams = 1/8 of an ounce or eighth

7 grams = 1/4 of an ounce or quarter

14 grams = ½ of an ounce or half

28 grams = 1 ounce

453 grams = 1 pound

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular marijuana amounts you’ll find at a dispensary and what those measurements visually translate to.

A gram of cannabis flower is typically the smallest amount of marijuana you can purchase, making it the perfect amount to try a new strain of flower. A gram equates to around one medium-to-large flower bud. It’s possible you can also get a couple of small popcorn buds that come out to a gram.

An eighth of an ounce of marijuana is 3.5 grams. This is one of the most popular amounts of marijuana to purchase from a dispensary, and it’s a favorite amount for top-shelf flower. This popular measurement can also be called a “slice,” although you won’t hear this term in a dispensary.

A quarter ounce of marijuana comes out to roughly 7 grams of flower. This amount will give you around six or seven medium-sized buds, depending on the density of the flower for a particular strain.

An ounce of cannabis is one of the largest amounts of flower you can purchase at a dispensary, and it comes with a significant price tag. Weighing in at 28 grams, this amount will get you 25-30 flower buds, or enough to fill a sandwich-sized plastic bag.

A half ounce, or 14 grams, is another common-sized purchase for cannabis consumers who know their favorite strain. This amount can get most marijuana enthusiasts through about a month before they’re coming back to purchase more. 

A pound of marijuana comes out to 453 grams or 16 ounces, and there isn’t a state in the country that allows any recreational consumer or medical marijuana patient to have this much marijuana at a time. These amounts are reserved for producers, retailers, and manufacturers.

Every state has its own laws that dictate how much both recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients can buy. For many states, you’re allowed to purchase and possess about an ounce of marijuana. There are some states that even allow you to grow your own marijuana, provided it’s contained and inaccessible to anyone but you. While we always suggest that you know the laws in your state in terms of how much cannabis flower you can purchase, your budtenders will always ensure that you adhere to your state mandates.

Once you get a hang for how much marijuana comes with each measured amount, you’ll easily know how much you need. Still, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have about marijuana measurements, including:

How many grams are in an eighth of marijuana?
There are 3.5 grams in an eighth of marijuana.

How much is an ounce of marijuana?
An ounce of marijuana is 28 grams.

What is a quarter of marijuana?
A quarter of marijuana is 7 grams.

Slang terms are a thing of the past, so it’s important to know and understand modern marijuana dispensary measurements to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. And if you don’t know, just ask a budtender! They’re there to help you through your entire purchase process.