How to measure weed seems pretty obvious: you just weigh it, duh. But it's not that simple. So here's a quick guide so that you have the knowledge you need to become an instant pot professional.

At first glance, the question of how to measure weed seems pretty obvious: you just weigh it, duh. That being said, it is a common question amongst newbies to the cannabis game or anyone new to the legal market. If you’ve never heard of an eighth or your only reference for a dime bag is Dimebag Darryl (RIP), then you are in the right place.

As always, JARS is here to help get everyone on the same page about how to measure weed so that you have the knowledge you need to become an instant pot professional.

Breakdown of Weed Measurements

While the metric system is not popular in American culture, it is your friend when it comes to measuring marijuana. Every measurement of cannabis starts with the humble gram and generally stops at an ounce, which is 28 grams of weed.

So let’s start with the smallest measurement and work our way up from there.

Gram

If you want to buy a singular gram of weed, A gram is often the smallest weight of weed you can buy in a dispensary and is a great way to sample something new. One gram will easily fit into the palm of your hand and is enough for a few bowl packs or perhaps a joint or two. While dime bags are generally a thing of the past due to rising medical marijuana costs, a gram of weed is probably as close as you can get.

The rest of the units of measurement for cannabis have to do with the father of grams, ounces — usually described either in full or a fraction.

Eighth

Perhaps the most common type of marijuana measurement, an eighth describes an eighth of an ounce of weed, otherwise known as 3.5 grams. For many users, an eighth of weed is the perfect amount for their needs. It is enough to roll a fat Backwoods blunt, several joints, or a handful of medium-sized bowl packs.

Quarter

Next on the measurement roster, we have quarters. Double the size of an eighth, a quarter refers to a quarter of an ounce of weed or 7 total grams. Technically speaking, a quarter weighs 7.0874 grams, but it is relatively agreed upon in the cannabis world to round down to the nearest gram.

A quarter often leaves enough cannabis at your disposal to roll several papers (whether it is a blunt or a joint), an array of bowls, and maybe even get you started with making your own at-home edibles.

Half

Hopefully, by now you are starting to catch on, but a half refers to a half-ounce of weed or 14 grams. If you ask your budtender for a half, they will instantly know what you mean and get you set up with the weed of your choice.

Ounce

You guessed it: An ounce describes a full ounce of weed aka 28 grams.

When you're purchasing weed in a dispensary, an ounce is usually the highest volume you can buy at any one time. It is also often the legal amount you can carry as a recreational patient (like in Arizona) while medical marijuana cardholders can sometimes legally carry a little more (Michigan medical marijuana patients can possess up to 2.5 ounces of flower).

That being said, people who work within the cannabis industry, such as buyers and dispensary owners, can buy in much larger wholesale quantities — including pounds and kilograms. One pound is made up of 16 ounces — which weighs in at a whopping 448 grams.

For your viewing pleasure, here is a simplified reference chart of how weed is measured — and how much each measurement weighs in grams:

How To Make Sure You’re Getting What You Paid For

When you purchase weed at a dispensary like JARS — whether you're buying a singular gram to test out a new strain or investing in a full ounce to bake your world-famous pot brownies — you want to make sure you're getting exactly what you paid for. While cannabis these days is often pre-measured, the only true way to know for sure that your cannabis is the proper weight is to weigh it for yourself.

Simply find an accurate food scale or sensitive scale specifically designed for cannabis, so you can rest peacefully knowing that you got the most bang for your buck.

Want To Learn More?

Whether measuring weed is new to you or you simply want to deepen your understanding of the plant, come into any of our JARS locations to get all the information you need.