If you’re new to buying weed, one of the first things to learn is quantities. That’s because at a certain point, there are greater savings that come with buying higher quantities.
Additionally, sometimes you find a favorite strain, and it’s only available in certain sizes.
Either way, you can’t possibly have a future in cannabis purchasing and consumption without knowing the quantities of weed and how much they generally cost.
Here is a guide on quantities, how much they cost, and when you should buy them.
How much is a gram of weed? An eighth? An ounce?
The measurements of cannabis vary by the amount of dried flower.
A gram of weed
A gram, or G, of weed is one gram (1g) of dried cannabis flower. Weights vary by density, but if you were to eyeball a gram of weed, it would look about the size of an orange slice. Sometimes people call a gram of weed a dime or dub, as a reflection of their cost.
An eighth of weed
An eighth of weed refers to an eighth of an ounce, which is 3.5 grams (3.5g) of weed. Can also be called an eighter. If you’re being granular about it, the true value of an eighth is 3.543 grams.
A quarter of weed
A quarter is a quarter of an ounce of weed. It amounts to two eighths, which is 7 grams (7g) of cannabis.
A half ounce of weed
A half is the term for half of an ounce of cannabis. It is the same amount as two quarters, which is 14 grams (14g) of weed.
An ounce of weed
An ounce is two halves, totalling 28 grams (28g) of weed. An ounce is also called an O, or a zip (because it fills up a ziplock sandwich bag).
A quarter pound of weed
A quarter pound, or quap, or QP is a quarter of a pound of weed. It is 4 ounces of dried cannabis flower. 4 ounces of cannabis flower is equal to 113.4 grams of bud.
A half pound of weed
A half pound of weed, or half-p for short, is 8 ounces of dried cannabis flower. It is the equivalent of 226.8 grams of flower. Some people refer to half pounds as half packs.
A pound of weed
A whole pound (1lb) of cannabis adds up to 16 whole ounces of dried flower. Pounds are also called elbows, and they total up to a whopping 453 grams of flower.
When should you buy a gram? An eighth? An ounce?
For the majority of people, their choice on which quantities of weed to purchase come down to how much cash is in their pocket. Luckily for those price conscious consumers, the price of weed is quite favorable.
The cannabis industry has exhibited some deceleration due to a range of regulatory and economic hurdles. Consequently, various legal cannabis markets nationwide, especially those that are well-established like California and Colorado, are confronted with an oversupply of inventory, resulting in a reduction in both wholesale and retail prices. As of February 2023, these are the general prices of the different packs of weed.
Buying a gram of cannabis
According to The U.S. Cannabis Spot Index, a gram of weed (wholesale) was $2.10 in mid-February. However, generally a gram of weed costs between $5 and $18. With a gram, you’re good to roll a fat ass joint, or smoke 2-3 bowls. Most people buy this quantity when they simply want to try a new strain, before committing to the price of higher quantities, or if they’re just looking for a quick smoke to end the night.
Buying an eighth of cannabis
An eighth costs generally between $35 and $60. In markets like California, an eighth might hit you for $70. In markets like Washington state, an eighth will hit you for $45, $55. Generally, these prices fluctuate because of taxes. An eighth of weed will usually get you 4 or 5 joints/blunts. Or you’ll be able to smoke about 12-15 bowls.
Joints and Blunts tend to require more weed than bowls because papers are long, and also need a thick foundation to roll and burn properly. Typically, an eighth lasts for a couple of days.
Buying a quarter of cannabis
A quarter generally costs between $70 and $100. A quarter is a great quantity to buy for the week, or longer, if you’re a smoker with discipline.
Most of the time, you expect to preserve your cannabis if you buy it in higher quantities, but truthfully, you’ll just end smoking more. That said, a quarter ounce of weed can be expected to last about a week, depending how much you consume.
Buying a half ounce of cannabis
A half ounce generally costs between $110 and $180. Here’s where you’re getting into bulk buys for the purpose of savings. A half ounce can last as long as you want it to. For me, it’ll last a week, because I smoke 2-3 joints per day. If I used a bong every day, it would easily last for 2-3 weeks.
Buying a whole ounce of cannabis
An ounce generally costs anywhere from $190 to $350. Sometimes you can get it for as low as $100 an ounce, but the quality of those $100 ounces tends to be pretty undesirable. Most of the people that buy those are just using the flower to roll spliffs.
Whichever price you pay, buying a whole ounce saves you from having to make back and forth trips to the dispensary and gives you wiggle room in relation to how much weed you can smoke.
In other words, if you have an ounce, you won’t think twice about rolling an eighth of it up in a Backwoods. Because you’ll still have a whole 25 grams left over.
Buying a pound of cannabis
After an ounce, you start getting into extreme quantities of weed that usually only people who also plan to sell cannabis buy, i.e retailers, dispensaries, medical clinics, and any other type of cannabis store out there. Legally, in most states you are limited to purchasing and possessing roughly 28.5 grams of cannabis.
Anything higher violates the law, even in legal states, therefore I will not explain the prices of quarters and lbs. However, the wholesale price of a pound of weed does fluctuate and it does affect what you pay at the dispensary.
The U.S. Cannabis Spot Index, a leading index of financial, business and industry data for the North American cannabis markets, decreased 3.2% to $952 per (wholesale) pound for the week ending February 22, 2023.
The average price across New England states is $1,958 per wholesale pound, which reflects the price damage in Massachusetts (-48.4% since mid-December 2022), Rhode Island (-41% since mid-November 2022), and Maine (-28.7% since mid-December 2022).
The most expensive cannabis this month in the U.S. can be found in Connecticut, followed by Vermont, Alaska, and Illinois.
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