What is an ounce of cannabis?

While the French metric system is probably the most obvious for us to use, you've probably already seen the English terms «once» or «eighth». What do they mean?

One ounce equals 28 grams, and in most states where consumption is restricted to adults, that's the maximum you can buy and possess.

An eighth of cannabis is probably the most common quantity that consumers buy on legal markets in the USA. Why? Cannabis brands, dispensaries and delivery services all measure dried flower in grams and ounces. An eighth is simply shorthand for an eighth of an ounce, or 3.5 grams, of weed.

How to convert cannabis ounces into grams

For reference, here's a quick guide to converting grass ounces to grams:

Flower prices vary according to the quality of the product and the market in which it is sold. You can expect to pay between $4 and $20 for a gram of flower in American dispensaries, sometimes with a price reduction when you buy larger quantities.

How much does an eighth weigh in relation to a gram?

Go into any dispensary and you'll see rows and rows of pots of weed containing an eighth. But what exactly does an eighth weigh? As mentioned above, the term eighth refers to an eighth of an ounce or 3.5 grams. Those familiar with measurements (and Google) will know that an eighth of an ounce actually corresponds to 3.543603875 grams.

In more practical terms, an eighth of weed corresponds to three one-gram joints and one half-gram joint, or seven smaller half-gram joints. With an eighth of grass, you can roll two to three blunts or a handful of spliffs. You can also make a good batch of cannabis butter or prepare at least half a dozen bangs.

A quarter of an ounce of grass weighs 7 grams.

Retail weight

Okay, an eighth of weed is the most common weight cannabis consumers can expect to find. But step behind the counter and you may find yourself dealing with much larger quantities of weed and a whole new terminology.

Quarter

A quarter of an ounce of weed weighs 7 grams. To put that in perspective, a quarter ounce of marijuana is enough for five to seven blunts and an arsenal of joints. Double that and you get half an ounce, or 14 grams. This amount is also called half or half-O. With half an ounce, you can roll seven to 14 blunts.

Once

An ounce weighs 28 grams. This corresponds to four quarters or eight eighths, hence the descriptors quarter and eighth. In everyday language, you may hear some people refer to an ounce as a zip or an O. You'll also see ounces in legislation describing possession limits, i.e. the amount of weed you can possess at any one time or buy per month in a given state.

Quarter-pound

No, we're not talking about hamburgers. A quarter-pound of grass is 113.4 grams. With 16 ounces in a pound, you can also think of a quarter pound as four ounces. And since smokers have a slang term for everything, quarter pounds are often called QP for short.

Half-book

The clue is certainly in the name with this weight of grass. After the quarter-pound, the half-pound weighs 226.8 grams. A half-pound, or eight ounces of cannabis, is also known as a half-pack or half-pounder.

Book

One pound is equivalent to about 453 grams or 16 ounces. That's enough weed to satisfy the typical cannabis consumer for a year - and make a serious dent in his bank account. A pound of cannabis flower can cost up to 3,000$ on legal U.S. markets.