There are two approaches to smoking marijuana – you either grow your own weed from the scratch, harvest it, dry it and then smoke it – or you go out there and buy it. Given that marijuana has been legalized across many jurisdictions now, including for recreational purposes in some regions, the access to weed is now much better than ever before. Gone are the days when weed was sold in dark alleys in hushed-tone voices. You can now walk up to a legal dispensary and buy some of that green stuff! However, the biggest question that now arises is – do you know how to measure weed?
There are terms such as Ounce, Quarter, Eighth – these might confuse many stoners. This can be especially confusing for those who follow a different system of measurement or are new to the world of smoking marijuana. This is exactly why we have come up with this article where we shall discuss in detail what the various terms used to measure marijuana mean. Here, we shall be looking at the exact measurement behind these terms and see how it translates to when you convert these measurements into grams!
While a lot of people like weed, not everyone is as good at math! By the time you reach the end of this article, you shall realize that it is quite easy to understand what these terms are so the next time you go out there to get your weed, you’ll know exactly how much you’re going to get when you say ‘ounce’ or ‘eighth’. Let us begin by taking a look at some basic measurements –
How is Weed Measured?
The unit used to measure weed depends on how much of it are you going to buy. If you are going to buy really large quantities of marijuana, it might be measured in kilograms or pounds (depending in which country you’re at). However, these are very large quantities, often termed ‘industrial’ or ‘commercial’ quantities of weed and if you are caught with so much weed by the local law enforcement authorities there might be a lot of questions as possessing so much weed for private consumption is not allowed in almost every part of the world! Commercial dealers, however, have a license and can carry large amounts of weed.
Coming to some of the most common quantities that you as a private buyer are likely to face when you go out there to buy weed – you are most likely to get weed in ounces – or fractions of an ounce. These are small units for measuring weed, and particularly in the US, you can hear fractions such as ‘quarter’ or ‘eighth’ – these are in reference to an ounce. A quarter means you’re getting a quarter of an ounce of weed and an eighth means you’re getting ⅛th of an ounce. These fractions are all in reference to ounces. However, there are many countries around the world which don’t really measure things in ounces – and they use grams instead.
This is the basic idea behind how weed is measured. The exact mathematics behind these calculations will be discussed in the next section but all you need to know for now is that larger quantities are measured in kilograms and pounds and smaller quantities are measured in ounces, fractions of ounces, and grams. Let us now take a detailed look at the conversion statistics and mathematics behind marijuana measurements!
The Mathematics Behind Measuring Marijuna:
While you don’t really need to be a rocket scientist or hold a PHD in mathematics in order to calculate the amount of weed that you are buying, you still need to know some basic conversions. This might be confusing for many buyers and particularly for those who don’t really go out there to buy weed frequently. While you might rely on your mates for getting you weed but there might be some situation where you will need to go out and buy it for yourself. Hence, it is important to know that you understand the mathematics behind measuring marijuana.
Here’s a look at some popular unit conversions so that you understand what these terms mean
How Many Grams in an Ounce of Weed?
- One pound of weed is equal to 16 ounces. Basically, an ounce is 1/16th of a pound.
- One kilogram of weed is equal to 2.2 pounds, which means that one pound is roughly 0.453kg
- One kilogram of weed is equal to 1000gm. Basically, this means that one pound of weed is 453 grams of weed.
- Now, ounce is one-sixteenth of a pound, so 1 ounce = 1/16th of 453 which is equal to about 28.3 grams
Basically, one ounce of weed measures 28.3 grams.
How many Grams in a Quarter of Weed?
When you say that you want to buy a ‘quarter’ of weed, you mean to say that you are looking forward to buying a quarter of an ounce. From the above calculation, we now know that one ounce of weed measures 28.3 grams. By this logic, you are getting 1/4th of that.
Basically, one quarter of weed measures 7 grams
How many Grams in a ‘Half’ of Weed?
When you say that you want a ‘half’ of weed, you are basically saying that you want half a quarter of weed. We have already established that one ounce of weed measures 28.3 grams you will be getting ½ of this – half of this would be about 14.15 grams. (roughly 14 grams).
Basically, one ‘half’ of weed measures 14 grams
How many Grams is an ‘Eighth’ of Weed?
When you go out there and say that you want to buy an eighth of weed, what you are expressing is that you are looking forward to buying ⅛ of an ounce. From the calculations above, we have established that one ounce of weed is equal to 28.3 grams. ⅛ of that would be about 3.5 grams.
Basically, one ‘eighth’ of weed measures 3.5 grams.
How many grams is one pound of weed?
Now we go to the higher end – 1 pound of weed measures 16 ounces. We have already established that 1 ounce is 28.3 grams – so when you multiply this by 16, you get around 453 grams of weed or 0.453 kilograms of weed. That is what one ‘pound’ of weed means.
Understanding THC Measurements in Marijuana
Now that you know what the basic units of measurements are and how many grams are there in an ounce, quarter and eighth of weed – you must also know that some people like to determine the measurements in accordance with the THC percentages that they will be getting. THC, which stands for tetrahydrocannabinol is a cannabinoid which is one of the biggest reasons as to why marijuana (and its by products) carries its psychoactive properties.
THC content tends to vary between 15 to 30% and growers and breeders can sometimes genetically modify their plants to such an extent that they provide a very strong high. Nonetheless, anything between 15 to 30% is good and when you go out there to buy your weed from a dispensary or from one of the registered providers of marijuana, you must ask them about how much THC content does the weed carry.
How to Measure Marijuana?
Measuring marijuana is important if you are a buyer, but even more important if you are planning to sell the weed that you are growing (always check if doing this is legal in your jurisdiction). For those planning to sell marijuana, they need to know exactly how much they are selling and at what price point they are selling their weed at. The most basic of methods to do this is by getting some measuring equipment at home and trying it out yourself.
In order to measure marijuana, you need measuring scales – but not those big and bulky ones where you can stand by yourself and measure your weight. You need small, pocket-sized or kitchen-top weighing scales as these are the ones which are designed specifically to be careful of the needs of smaller measurements. Make sure you get a good quality measuring scale which can last you for long and practice measuring in that before you begin selling.
If you are a seller, one of the best things you can do is instead of measuring weed fresh while you sell it, you can measure it beforehand and package it in small packets and directly have them sold. If you are a buyer, we recommend you to get your own scale as well – so that you can measure the marijuana that you are buying on your device so that you are ensured that the seller is not ripping you off. After a good few months of buying weed you will be able to make a visual approximation of roughly how much does an ounce look like, how a quarter looks like, how a half looks like, etc. However, while that is a good way to judge it, that is by no means accurate and getting a scale is the best way to do so.
Read more: How Many Grams Are In A Pound Of Weed?
Frequently Asked Questions About Measuring Marijuana
Let us now take a quick look at some of the most frequently asked questions (FAQs) about measuring marijuana. These are some common questions which a number of growers tend to have and we hope that if you, too, have a similar question, we are able to provide you with a satisfying answer here.
1. What are some popular slang terms for measuring weed?
While gram, ounce, half, quarter, pound, etc. are all formal terms for the measurement of weed, there are a number of slang terms as well. A gram of weed is often called a ‘dime bag’ in informal language. Similarly, if you want to buy two grams of weed, you’re probably going to ask for a ‘dub of bud’ – which is 2 grams. An eighth of weed is often called ‘half a quarter’ or even a ‘slice’ in some places. Quarter of a bud is commonly called a quarter and there’s no specific slang for it though you may see some people calling it two-eighths. When you go out there to buy half an ounce of marijuana, you may hear slang terms such as ‘Half an O’, ‘Half a Zip’ or ‘O by 2’. A full ounce of weed is often called a ‘zip’ of marijuana. A quarter of a pound is called a QP.
2. What is the price of weed?
The price of weed is different from country to country and region to region depending on many factors such as if it is legal, what are the tax rates etc. In California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington, you can get an ounce of weed for anywhere between $200 to $250. The cost is higher in places where it is illegal to smoke weed recreationally – It is quite expensive in New York where an ounce of weed can go as high as $350-$400 while it is about $350 in Illinois, and about $300-$325 in Florida.
3. Where can I buy weed?
In cities where it is legal to purchase weed (for medicinal or for recreational purposes) there are licensed weed dispensaries which sell marijuana legally. They are approved by the government and charge you a certain amount of tax on the weed that you buy. There are no other legal alternatives to buying weed but there are many who buy it ‘off the street’ via dealers who might not necessarily be engaged in selling weed legally and you might run into problems with the law enforcement officers if you buy from them so better watch out for that.
Conclusion
It is extremely important for those stoners who are going out there to buy weed to know exactly what to ask for and what each measurement means. We hope that this article helps you gain an insight into how many grams are there in an ounce, a quarter, a half and an eighth of weed, as well as about other aspects surrounding the measurement of marijuna. Do let us know in the comments or drop us an email if you want to know anything more about the same and we shall get back to you soon! Till then….
Happy Growing!
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