How many grams are in an ounce of weed? The simplest and most direct answer is 28.35 grams. In other words, there are roughly 28.35 grams in one ounce of marijuana.
As you surely know, most cannabis dispensaries sell weed in single grams (i.e. single pre-rolled joints), eighths, quarters, half-ounces, and ounces. In terms of grams, this roughly equates to the following:
- 1/8 oz. = 3.5 grams
- 1/4 oz. = 7 grams
- 1/2 oz. = 14 grams
- 1 oz = 28 grams
Pretty simple, right?
Are You Getting Ripped Off At The Dispensary?
Increased competition in the cannabis market over the last decade has led to relatively consistent prices at licensed dispensaries. For an ounce of top-shelf flower, for example, a customer can expect to pay between $270-$300 at a dispensary. (This is according to a recent article by Statista, which published the average state-by-state prices of cannabis per ounce).
Still, when you consider how much an ounce of weed ‘costs’ when you grow your own at home, dispensary prices are basically highway robbery.
For example, a basic two-plant DIY home grow can easily yield up to eight ounces of high-quality flower per harvest (four ounces of bud per plant). If you manage two harvests in a calendar year (which is totally doable), that’s sixteen ounces of bud, or around $4800 based on average U.S. prices. That’s just from growing a couple of plants at home.
DID YOU KNOW? A single cannabis plant grown at home can produce up to 4 oz of bud per harvest, valued at over $1200 per average U.S. weed prices.
In other words, if you’re a daily smoker and growing your own pot is an option, there’s absolutely no reason why you shouldn’t be doing it.
And for those that are able and interested in setting up their own at-home grow, we actually offer a 100% free online growing course in partnership with California growing legend Parker Curtis and the team at Homegrown Cannabis Co.
If you live in a state that allows home cannabis cultivation, there’s really no excuse not to take advantage. On average, people that grow their own weed at home save over $1,200 compared to people that buy monthly from a dispensary. In partnership with the growing pros at Homegrown Cannabis Co, we offer a 100% free online growing course to help get you started:
Grams to Ounces: How to Accurately Weigh Your Weed
Whether you buy from a dispensary or grow your own, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting an accurate measurement as far as how many grams are in an ounce of your bud.
For accurate measurements, a good scale is an essential purchase. If you’re in the market for one, here are a few things to consider:
- Look for a scale that’s accurate to within 0.1 grams
- Make sure the capacity is at least 200 grams (if you’re a seller and need to weigh significant amounts, a capacity of 1,000 g (1 kg) should be sufficient)
- Buy a scale with a wall plug if you weigh weed regularly, in order to save money on batteries
- Online stores have lower overheads and typically offer lower prices than physical stores. Use the money you save to purchase more herb!
- US residents should buy a scale that measures in grams, although any device capable of measuring in both the imperial and metric systems is very useful.
We have regularly found scales available for less than $10, so there is no need to go crazy and purchase a top-of-the-line model that you don’t need. If nothing else, a nice scale is a sound investment that takes most of the guessing work out of buying weed – and having to convert from oz to g, g to oz, and so on. With a good scale, buying (or selling) an ounce of weed becomes a breeze – not a sketchy chore.
What Does a Gram of Weed Look Like?
It’s no secret that a gram of weed belonging to one strain might look very different from the same amount of another strain. The fact is, some nugs are more compact and dense, while others are loose and fluffy. So a gram of the latter may look significantly larger than the same amount of the former. This can make things difficult (if not impossible) when crunch time comes around and you’re attempting to convert grams to ounces by the sheer skill of your naked eye.
You also have to consider things like the level of moisture in the bud, and the fact that it is possible for a strain to come in one large nug, or several smaller ones. The bottom line is, the “eye test” is almost certain to be inaccurate, no matter how experienced you are.
Still, even if you find yourself without a reliable scale, there are a couple tricks you can use to help you accurately determine how many grams are in an ounce of marijuana.
How to Weigh Weed Without a Scale (And Quickly Convert Grams to Ounces)
Below you’ll find a variety of MacGyver-esque methods that will help you weigh cannabis without a scale (don’t use kitchen scales though because they are nowhere near accurate enough).
However, while the following techniques are fun to try and can help you out in a pinch, it’s worth reiterating that they are no substitute for a good digital scale, which will make an exact science out of your attempt to convert ounces to grams, or when you’re desperately trying to remember how many grams are in an ounce of weed.
The Ruler and the Penny
This is a cool technique that requires a ruler and, you guessed it, a copper U.S. penny. Use the ruler as a scale by balancing it on something, and place a penny on one side and a nug of flower on the other. Since the penny weighs (or should weigh) exactly 2.5 grams, you’ll know you have that amount when the ruler is perfectly balanced.
The Plastic Hanger Method
In order to tackle this method, you’ll need a plastic hanger, a long piece of string, a drill, a pair of scissors (a ruler will also work), and a nickel (which weighs exactly five grams).
- Use the scissors to cut off the top of the plastic hanger, then drill a small hole in the center of it
- Drill a hole on the left and right side of the hanger, using your ruler to ensure they are equal distances from the middle
- Cut two equal length pieces of string, and tie one on each side of the hanger
- Cut another piece of string, tie it through the center, and add a weight to keep the hanger balanced
- Attach the nickel to the string on one side of the hanger, your bud to the other, and start weighing!
Weed Scale Apps
If you have a smartphone, there are a few different options for Weed Scale apps (or something else of the sort) that work fairly efficiently. (There’s actually one in the Android Play Store called “Weed Weight”). Please note, though, that such apps are not totally reliable, and a good digital scale is still the best option.
Don’t Overthink It! Converting Grams to Ounces of Weed Isn’t That Hard
Let’s get back to the whole point of this article, which is to determine how many grams are in an ounce of weed. Regardless of whether your country uses the imperial or metric system, grams, ounces, and pounds are the universal weed measurement. Dispensaries use this to their advantage, as 99% of customers are looking for ounces, quarters, and eighths (a lot of times without even really realizing how many are in each).
As we outlined earlier in the article, an 1/8 of an ounce of pot is exactly 3.5437 grams – but dealers tend to round down to 3.5 grams for the sake of simplicity. (Admittedly, that 0.04-gram sliver of weed probably won’t be missed, but it certainly adds up over time if you’re a heavy user).
Naturally, dispensaries do the exact same thing when they’re converting ounces to grams, grams to ounces, and so forth. The following table conveniently breaks down the most frequently used weed measurements, and converts them into grams for you.
The Ultimate Weed Conversion Table
To help you easily figure out how many grams are in an ounce of weed (or a quarter or an eighth), we’ve put together this handy weed conversion table:
Amount of Weed | How Much Does it Weigh? |
---|---|
Eighth | At 3.5437 grams, an eighth of weed is probably the most commonly purchased amount for casual smokers. There are also “half-eighths” (one-sixteenth of an ounce) that are well under two grams in weight (1.772 g to be exact) |
Quarter | A quarter of weed is two-eighths, so you are purchasing 7.0874 grams of cannabis – and this is many times rounded down to 7 grams. A quarter of an ounce is a good starting point for intermediate users in the mood to get stoned. |
Half Ounce | At 14.17475 grams, purchasing half an ounce of weed means you’re either probably about to throw a party, or you’re a verified stoner who goes through a routine amount of pot every month or every few weeks. |
Ounce | At 28.3495 grams, one ounce of weed is a significant investment and it should last you a considerable period of time. A lot of residents in legalized states like Colorado and Washington will buy by the ounce, which can range in cost from about $180 to well over $300 |
Pound | A pound of weed is 16 ounces and is usually considered a bulk amount. There are also quarter and half pound measurements, and if you are buying them, you likely already know everything discussed in this article! |
Kilogram | The legendary “kilo” of weed – this is 1,000 grams. If you’re in possession of this much pot, you probably know a lot more than we do! |
Recap: Quick Weed Conversions from Oz to Grams
- 1 eighth oz. = 3.5 grams
- 1 quarter oz. = 7 grams
- 1 half oz. = 14 grams
- 3/4oz = 21 grams
- 1 oz = 28 grams
- 1 pound = 16 ounces
- 1 kilogram = 1,000 grams
Know Your Cannabis Slang? Then You Probably Know How Many Grams are in an Ounce
A lot of times when you’re buying weed, you’ll hear some pretty strange terms flying around. Terms that, for the uninitiated, carry no meaning whatsoever. Knowing what these terms mean are not necessarily a substitute for memorizing your standard conversions (like ounce to grams), but they’ll definitely help:
- Nickel Bag (nick-sack, nickel, etc): $5 of weed
- Dime Bag: $10 of weed
- A “Dub”: A dub is a $20 bag of weed, and usually works out to be about 3.5 g of low-quality bud
Summary: Converting Ounces of Marijuana to Grams
We hope this guide helped you figure out the weed market a little bit better. And hopefully, it didn’t bring back too many bad memories of high school math class! As you can see, figuring out how many grams are in an ounce of weed really isn’t that difficult. Once you’ve got the basic conversions down, you’ll easily be able to shoot back and forth from grams to ounces, ounces to grams, and so on.
And in case you missed it the first time, here’s our online weed converter that quickly converts grams of weed to ounces, or vice-versa:
Weed Converter: Grams to Ounces