Cannabis measurements: weight chart, prices 8 oz cup, and tips
Whether we grow our own cannabis or buy it from someone else, we like to use familiar terms for the quantities we buy. If you’re new to the world of cannabis, you might be surprised at how many different slang terms are used for different weights of weed. Often the starting point for grass weights is usually one ounce/ 8 oz cup (Americas). Numerous subdivisions of an 8 ounce cup have developed, often with their own unofficial names.
Table of Contents
How many grams are in an 8 oz cup of a gram of cannabis?
Here is a list of some of the most commonly purchased cannabis weights.
| ounce | grams |
| 1/28 of an ounce (‘a gram’, ‘a dime bag) | 1 gram |
| ⅛ of an ounce (“an eighth”) | ≈3.5 grams |
| ¼ of an ounce (“a quarter”) | ≈7 grams |
| ½ of an ounce (“half”) | ≈14 grams |
| 1 ounce (“one ounce”, “one zip”) | ≈28 grams |
The cost of cannabis
The amount you will pay for cannabis can vary greatly. Whether you are in a legal or illegal cannabis country, the more you buy, the cheaper it gets. The costs also vary greatly from country to country. An 8 ounce cup of weed in Colorado (where it’s legal) will cost you less than in Saudi Arabia or Singapore (where Prohibition is enforced by force).
If you know the person growing the cannabis, you may be able to purchase it at cost/discounted prices. If you’re new to an area with no contacts, you may have no choice but to pay expensive street prices. But for many people in Europe, the UK, and the US, prices of around €200/£200/$200 are not untypical when buying around 8 ounce cup of mid-range cannabis. Of course, you can pay a lot more for the very finest products.
This article assumes typical street prices of around €200/£200/$200, although we are aware that this varies significantly even within the same country. It is also worth adding that even in areas with legal cannabis supply there are those who will offer cheap cannabis on the black market at prices below the “official” prices and may be cheaper than the €/£/$200 suggested here. However, quality/purity cannot always be guaranteed.
Conversely, in countries with regulated cannabis supply, some connoisseur black marketers sell at prices higher than pharmacy prices. It is often argued here (sometimes rightly so) that the best of black market cannabis is superior, comes from better genetics, or is truly organic.
An 8 ounce cup of cannabis: 3.5 grams of cannabis. With a typical street price of around €200 an ounce, an Eighth should cost around €/£/$25. However, small purchases of cannabis are usually the least affordable way to buy it. Typical street costs can range from €35 to €40 or more, which is around €10 per gram for mid-range cannabis. Higher-quality strains can cost twice as much!
In big cities, street prices can be higher with no guarantee of quality. Disenchantment with high cannabis prices is one of the main reasons people choose to grow their own cannabis.
| grams | Costs |
| 7 grams | €/£/$50-60 |
| 14 grams | €/£/$100-120 |
| 28 grams | €200/£200/$200 |
A quarter ounce of cannabis: 7 grams of cannabis. Often this can cost around €/£/$50-60.
Half an ounce of cannabis: 14 grams of cannabis. The cost is usually around €/£/$100-120
A whole ounce of cannabis: 28 grams of cannabis. You can typically pay around €200/£200/$200 for an ounce of mid-range cannabis, much more if you’re in an expensive area or have few contacts. Even in legal dispensaries, the best-quality varieties can cost as much as $300 an ounce. That’s up to double the price of the cheapest budget strains. Those who have a friendly network of good breeders may be able to buy cannabis for less.
Cannabis meter chart in ounces and grams
Often the metric/imperial systems are used side by side. Just like other commodities, cannabis is cheaper when bought in bulk. However, cannabis is far more than a commodity.
There can be huge differences in quality from grower to grower, with a lot depending on the quality of the cannabis seeds, the growing conditions, and the grower’s expertise.
Most cannabis supply networks, whether legal or illegal, have a pricing structure for budget, average, and premium strains. Therefore, prices for a given weight of cannabis can vary depending on quality. Sometimes the real challenge can be figuring out if a strain is really worth the premium it is asking for.
Most everyday cannabis purchases are relatively small, a quarter ounce or less. Those purchasing in countries with regulated cannabis sales may have restrictions on maximum purchase quantities. In a Dutch coffee shop, you are usually limited to buying a maximum of 5g of weed at a time.
Other slang terms for cannabis quantities
Many different local terms are used to describe cannabis measurements. The origin of these terms is often unclear, with some of the original meanings being lost over time.
Dime or dime bag
A dime bag is often considered the smallest amount of weed. If you’re short on cash and need just enough weed to roll a joint or two, then a dime bag is just what you need.
How many grams of cannabis is a dime bag?
1 gram of cannabis is typical. Often, with a bit of luck, you only see a single small bud.
How much does a dime bag cost?
Historically, a dime bag costs around $10, hence the name “dime bag”. But even that can change. If the bud is of particularly good quality these days, they can charge more than $10 for it.
What does a dime bag look like?
You can usually expect a small plastic bag not much larger than your thumb. But with luck you can get a decent-sized joint out of your bag, maybe two if you don’t mind downsizing the joint size a bit.
Dub of Bud
If you have some extra cash on hand, you can buy yourself a Dub of Bud. The word “Dub” is said to (no one can be 100% sure) stand for “Double Dime Bag”. In other words, twice the size of the standard dime bag.
How many grams of cannabis is a bud?
2 grams of cannabis.
How much does a Dub of Bud cost?
Good question! Normally you would expect to pay around $20 for a dub bud. But quality-conscious retailers often offer high-quality dub bags at premium prices, $30 or even more.
What does a Dub of Bud look like?
Expect a small bag that fits comfortably in the palm of your hand. You will typically receive a self-sealing, transparent plastic bag with enough cannabis for around 4-5 joints. You usually get a few buds with your pouch.
An eight
An eighth of bud is one of the more common quantities of cannabis that one can purchase. Buying a dime bag can seem like an expensive way to buy cannabis. But buying an Eighth gives you a little more purchasing power and maybe a little better value for money.
How many grams of cannabis is an Eighth?
3.5 grams of cannabis, one-eighth of an ounce.
How much is an eighth?
Even within a country, prices vary so much. A small-town eighth would be much cheaper than a top-quality eighth in a big city. But for a mid-range ‘Eighth’ expect to pay around €30/$30/£30.
What does an eighth look like?
You can expect to see around 6 or 7 buds. In some generous dispensaries, you will receive a free upgrade from 3.5 g to 4 g. For many people, buying an Eighth Cannabis is cheaper than buying 2 or 3 dime bags.
Quarter of Bud
A quarter of bud, or quarter ounce, is one of the larger amounts of cannabis for a personal purchase. You might like the idea of making a cheaper purchase. Or maybe you just love your cannabis and enjoy having enough to last the week.
How many grams of cannabis is a quarter of bud
7 grams of cannabis.
How much is a Quarter of Bud?
Consider paying around €/£/$/$50-70 in the mid-range. Prices can of course vary wildly, with the premium buds being offered at higher prices.
What does a quarter of a bud look like?
Expect a chunky bag that fits in the palm of your hand. You can get about a dozen joints from your quarter, maybe even more.
Half-ounce or half zip
Some serious cannabis lovers hate when they run out of the bud they love. That’s why many buy in bulk and always have a few spare buds just in case. Half a “Zip” is one of the more “serious” purchase amounts.
How many grams of cannabis is half an ounce?
14 grams of cannabis.
How much is half an ounce?
A lot of courses depends on it. But for a mid-sized half-ounce, you can expect to pay upwards of €/£/$100-125.
What does half an ounce look like?
A small bag awaits you, about the size of a humble bag of potato chips. If you’re using around a gram or two of cannabis per day, then you can expect half a bag to last around 3 weeks.
Full Ounce or Zip
At many dispensaries, an ounce is the largest amount of cannabis you are allowed to purchase in one transaction. You get the best value when you buy in bulk. If you can find a quality strain that you just love, and if you can afford it, an ounce of cannabis is a great stash that takes away the fear of running out.
During the recent COVID-19 pandemic, many cannabis enthusiasts bought (or built) extensive supplies of their own to get through the lockdown.
How many grams of cannabis is an ounce?
28 grams of cannabis.
How much is an ounce?
An ounce costs €/£/$200 for a medium quality level.
What does a full ounce look like?
You would have to “cup” your hands to hold an ounce of bud in them. For most serious cannabis users, an ounce of weed would last a month or two. Some people call an ounce of weed a “lid.”
Quarter Pound or QP
Few of us ever buy a “QP” or a quarter pound of cannabis. It is often more professional pharmacy/coffee shop owners who buy wholesale quantities. Often, for large purchases, the more professional sellers have a full cannabinoid and terrene analysis available so you know exactly what you are buying.
How many grams of cannabis is a quarter pound?
Approximately 113 grams of cannabis or 4 ounces. In many countries, possession of such an amount would be considered a felony. However, in some states of the US, medical marijuana patients can possess 3-6 ounces of cannabis.
How much is a whole quarter pound?
In a legal US state, you can expect to pay around $750 for a QP. With U.S. supply occasionally exceeding demand in recent years, wholesale cannabis prices have been lower than many licensed producers would have liked.
What does a full quarter pound look like?
Expect a big sack of cannabis! Similar in size to a large family bag of potato chips or snacks.
How to easily measure your cannabis
When buying from a trusted supplier, it’s common practice not to second-guess your cannabis purchases and trusting the person selling it. But not everyone agrees! Some people carry around a basic set of digital scales so they can double check they aren’t getting ripped off.
Others, particularly those living in areas with illegal cannabis, are reluctant to travel with a digital (or analog) scale. The concern would be that if caught, they could be accused of being cannabis dealers themselves.
Growing your own cannabis from cannabis seeds is easy and cheap
If the price of cannabis is limiting your options for buying and enjoying it, then you might want to consider growing it yourself. The high cost of buying cannabis is often cited as the main reason people are starting to grow it themselves. Once you’ve grown your own cannabis and realized how easy it is, you’d hesitate to buy it again.
If you’ve never grown cannabis before, the easiest way to start is probably with some auto-flower seeds. These are easy to grow indoors or outdoors. Indoors, you can fully grow auto-flower cannabis in around 10-11 weeks. If you do it well you can get 50-100g per plant quite easily.
Even with the expense of purchasing a grow light, tent, extraction fan/filter, and nutrients, your first cannabis growth will likely pay for itself. Growing cannabis from feminized cannabis seeds is also a straightforward experience with modern cannabis genetics. Indoor growers of feminized seeds only need to reduce the daily light hours to 12 to induce the flowering of a feminized seed strain.