How Much is a Gram of Weed?

Cannabis quantities can be confusing to follow, especially if you’re a first-time consumer from America who’s inherently unfamiliar with the metric system. To make measurement matters even weirder, they begin in metric terms as grams and eventually transition into the imperial system with ounces and finally pounds. Tack on a bunch of slang terms you’re expected to have memorized like “eighth,” “quad,” or “zip,” and your first trip to the dispensary can feel like a math class from your worst nightmares when you just want to buy a gram of weed.

But don’t worry: we’re here to break weed measurements down for you so that when you walk through the dispensary doors, you know exactly how much cannabis you’re looking for, what it might cost you, and how to ask for it. And if you’re growing your own for the first time, you’ll have a better understanding of what you can expect to get from your first harvest.

A Gram of Weed

A gram of weed is typically the smallest unit of measurement and amount of cannabis flower a consumer can purchase at a time. You can usually consider this your average nug of flower. You’ll likely be able to get one decent-sized joint out of this amount of weed, or a bowl or two if that’s your preferred method of consumption.

The price of a gram of weed can vary pretty widely depending on what region you reside in, whether your purchase is from a legal or legacy operator, and what type of strain you’re buying. 

However, it usually sits at around $15-$20 in the U.S., and around €5-€20 in Europe—but again, that number can vary greatly depending on which country you’re purchasing in, and what the regulations are in your region. Older consumers may call one gram a “dime bag,” which is a reference to what a gram used to be worth many decades ago.

Someone purchasing a gram of weed is most likely a new consumer giving cannabis a try for the first time, hoping to figure out what method of consumption they want to roll with. But even a more seasoned consumer can pick up this small of an amount like this in a pre-roll if they’re just looking to test out a new strain or kief. 

One Eighth

One-eighth of cannabis—or 3.5 grams—is probably the most common amount of weed purchased around the world. A bit of cannabis community slang, an “eighth” refers to one-eighth of an ounce of flower: just about enough weed to fill your palm with. 

An eighth of weed will get you about 4-5 medium-sized joints, or about 5-10 bowls or more if you’re not packing them too fat. This amount costs anywhere between $25-$70 in the U.S., depending on whether you’re going for discount strains or top-shelf flower. It’s also important to keep in mind that the more cannabis you purchase at a time, the lower the price per gram is likely to be. 

If you’re purchasing your flower overseas, an eighth will run you about €20-€60—and possibly more if you’re copping some super high-quality product. 

An eighth is the most common purchase for all kinds of consumers: first-timers who are ready to dive in head first, casual smokers looking to share with some friends or seasoned stoners picking something up to last them a week, or for some of us, until the evening rolls around. 

Quarter Ounce of Cannabis

A quarter ounce of cannabis—also known as a “quad” or just a “quarter”—equals seven grams. This might translate to 6-8 medium-fat joints or 13-18 bowls. 

If you know you’re a frequent consumer and you don’t mind hitting the same strain a few days or weeks in a row, it’s a good idea to purchase a quarter of weed at a time. As we mentioned earlier, bulkier purchases of cannabis usually mean better prices per gram. 

A quarter of cannabis will usually cost anywhere from $30-$110 in the U.S., and around €40-€100 or slightly more throughout Europe.

Again, quarter purchases are usually done by more frequent consumers: those who are opting for a good deal, or are creatures of habit when it comes to their favorite brand and/or strain. But it’s also a good size to purchase if you’re stocking up for a small get together or gifting some flower to a good friend.

Half Ounce

There are 14 grams in a half-ounce of cannabis, which might yield around 25-30 joints, up to 50 small bowls, or about 15 fat blunts.

Half-ounce slang includes “half-o,” “half zip,” or just “half.” In the U.S., this amount of weed can cost you around $100-$180, and if you’re shopping in Europe, a half-o can be anywhere from €80-€250.

Similar to the quarter-ounce, this purchase amount is typically reserved for more serious consumers, or those who don’t mind buying a large amount at once for the promise of a better deal. Dispensaries are also more likely to offer consumers discounts or BOGO offers for half ounces, but be wary: the deals that seem too good to be true, often are.

One Ounce

One ounce of marijuana is equal to 28 grams. It’s usually the maximum legal amount consumers are able to purchase at a time. Known as an “O” or a “zip,” an ounce is enough to roll about 55-80 joints, 20-40 blunts, or 70-100 bowls. 

The U.S. consumer will spend around $150-$350, depending on the quality of said ounce, and a European purchaser will have to drop anywhere between €150-€500. Any amount less than that is probably low-quality weed, so be careful.

Buying a full ounce of weed at one purchase makes sense if you’re buying for a party, crafting a batch of edibles, or just like to smoke a lot of the same strain at a time. You’ll also run into some even better deals if you’re purchasing this amount, so heavy and consistent consumers might be smart to opt for the ounce deal.

Quarter Pound

A quarter pound of weed—or a “quap” if you’re feeling hip—is four ounces or 113.4 grams. That’s…a lot of weed. Roughly 100-130 joints, 80-110 blunts, or well over 200 bowls.

If you’re buying this amount of cannabis, you’re likely a retailer, or a super, super heavy consumer. European purchasers will spend around €400-€1500 for this amount, and in the U.S., a quarter pound is anywhere from $400-$1,200.

Half Pound

A half pound of weed is eight ounces or 226.8 grams. This amount of flower is about half the size of a bowling ball. This is well over 200 joints worth of flower, and well within the territory of cannabis wholesale trades.

In the U.S., a “half pack” or “half pounder” will cost around $800-$2,500, and in Europe, about €800-€3,000.

A Pound of Marijuana

If you’re buying a pound of weed, you’re definitely in the industry—whether you’re retailing the flower, extracting it, or making large batches of edibles. This size of purchase is illegal for consumers to make in most regions unless you’re a licensed vendor.

A pound of weed is equal to 16 ounces or 453.6 grams. One pound of cannabis costs around $1,200-$4,000 in the U.S. and between €1,200-€4,500 in Europe.

Five Pounds

Five pounds of cannabis sits at around $6,000-$20,000 in the U.S. and €6,000-€20,000  in Europe.

Five pounds of cannabis equals 80 ounces or 2,268 grams. 

Ten Pounds

Ten pounds of cannabis is 160 ounces or 4,536 grams.

This amount of weed can cost U.S. retailers anywhere from $12,000-$40,000 depending on the region and quality, and European retailers anywhere from €12,000-€40,000.