How many grams in an ounce of marijuana?

Dime bags, eighths, and g’s – cannabis is a world with its own language. If you’re new to buying cannabis flower, the terms used for measurement can seem confusing at best, and like a foreign language at worst. 

But luckily, there is a pattern to the names of cannabis measurements. 

If you don’t need a lesson in weed math, skip down to the ounces to grams weed calculator. 

Cannabis measurements 

How many grams are in an ounce? How many grams in an eighth? What’s a zip? 

Let’s start with the basics- cannabis is measured in grams and ounces. There are 28 grams in one ounce. Yes, one is metric and one is not. 

Small amounts of cannabis are measured in grams. However, rather than requesting the amount of weed you want in grams, in the US you’ll ask for the percentage of an ounce you want. If you want 3.5 grams of cannabis, you’d ask your budtender for an eighth (because 3.5 grams is 1/8 of 28 grams.) 

Not confusing at all, right? Then consider the fact that common generic terms sack or bag have no specific meaning. For example, the term dime bag means a bag containing $10 worth of weed. But as any cannabis consumer knows, ten dollars will buy you a lot more low-grade cannabis than it will high-quality cannabis.

It can be challenging to navigate as a beginner, but after a few times buying weed, you’ll be able to recite these measurements like a pro. 

Cannabis measurements & nicknames 

(Technically, weight in grams is not a nice, round number but it is industry standard to round down to the nearest whole number.) 

An ounce of cannabis is usually the most you can buy at once at a dispensary, although this can vary by your location and state. Typically, only growers or processors have access to a pound or kilogram of weed. 

Grams to ounces weed calculator

How to accurately measure weed

Decimal points, metric conversions – oh my. The quickest and easiest way to measure your weed is simply to use a scale. 

A digital scale takes the guesswork out of measuring weed and eliminates the uncertainty from anyone who swears they can measure an eighth by eye. 

No scale? No problem

If you don’t have a digital scale on hand, you can still measure your weed- but it will be less precise. The internet and the legacy market have several creative ways to measure weed with no scale, but these methods have varying degrees of accuracy. Cannabis nugs can be dense, which can make them heavier than they appear to the eye. 

But if you’re in a rush with no scale in sight, and are not overly concerned with the true accuracy of your measurement, feel free to try one of these methods. 

Ruler and penny

For this method, you’ll need a ruler and a US penny. 

1. Place the ruler on a level surface with both sides hanging off evenly. 
2. Put the penny on one side and your weed on the other. 

When the ruler is balanced, you have your answer to how much weed you have- depending on what kind of penny you use. 

• Pennies made before 1982 weigh 3.1 grams 
• Pennies made after 1982 weigh 2.5 grams 

Of course, the biggest risk with this method is dropping your make-shift scale and the weed you’re trying to weigh along with it.

Hanger method

For this method, you’ll need a clothes hanger, string, clothespins, and a ziplock bag. You’ll also need pennies. 

• Cut two pieces of string in equal length. Tie them evenly to opposite sides of the hanger and use a clothespin to attach a ziplock bag to each string. 
• Hang the hanger on a rod or doorknob so it sits evenly. 
• In one of the ziplock bags, add a penny. (See above for penny weights) 
• In the other bag, add your weed. Add or take away pieces until you have a balanced hanger. 

Phone app

In 2022, there’s an app for everything. If you’re really in a pinch, you can download a scale app on your phone and place your weed on the screen to measure. This will give you an estimated range of how much your cannabis weighs. 

But phones are not scales, and this measurement will not be reliable. Scale apps use gyroscopes to estimate weights rather than scale plates, so take this measurement with a grain of salt. 

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