Grams, ounces, quarters… There are a lot of slang terms used to describe cannabis weights, and knowing how much weed you’re getting for your money can be tricky sometimes. If you’re a tourist in Amsterdam—where cannabis is sold in grams—you might be a little confused when it comes to buying weed at a coffeeshop. The same goes for tourists in the US, where dispensaries use the imperial system to measure out their bud. In this article, we’ll break down the basics of different cannabis weights, and the terms used to describe them.
Understanding cannabis weights
The terms used to describe cannabis quantities vary depending on where you live, and what measurement system you use in that area (imperial vs. metric). However, there are a few standard measurements that are used in various places around the world. These are:
1 gram
One gram of cannabis is the smallest amount of weed you can buy. It is equivalent to 1,000mg. How much cannabis actually constitutes a gram will vary on the size and weight of the buds you’re buying.
In general, however, one small, dense bud will weigh about a gram. Depending on how you roll your joints (thick or thin, with or without tobacco), 1 gram of cannabis is usually enough for 1–2 joints.
You’ll find this measurement used in dispensaries across North America, coffeeshops in the Netherlands, and even on the street.
⅛ ounce (or “eighth”)
1 ounce is equivalent to 28.35g. Hence, ⅛ ounce (commonly called just an “eighth”) is equal to 3.5g. Visually, an eighth of cannabis will usually consist of at least 3 solid buds, but again, this may vary depending on the size and weight of the buds you’re buying. It’ll be enough for at least 3–4 joints, depending on how you roll.
You’ll hear people use “eighth” in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK, but less so in Europe. In Dutch coffeeshops, for example, cannabis is usually sold in 1g, 3g, and 5g quantities.
¼ ounce (or “quarter”)
A ¼ ounce (“quarter” or simply a “q”) is equal to 7 grams of cannabis. Visually, it’ll usually consist of at least 7–8 nice, dense buds. It’ll make for several joints, and will last most people a good amount of time.
“Quarter” is very common in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the UK.
1 ounce
An ounce of cannabis weighs 28.35 grams. As you can imagine, this is a nice amount of cannabis that’ll last several weeks depending on how much you consume (obviously).
Ounces are a common measurement in the US and the UK, where people still use imperial units.However, when it comes to weighing cannabis, ounces are used in many other English speaking countries as well, even if they use the metric system.
Other slang terms for cannabis
Grams and ounces are the most common units used to quantify cannabis. However, there are many other slang terms used to describe cannabis weights. Here are a few you may or may not have heard from around the world:
- “a stick” – Equivalent to 1g of cannabis. Used in Australia and New Zealand.
- “a tinger” – Equivalent to roughly 1g of cannabis, or $10 worth. Mainly used in the UK.
- “dime bag” – Also equivalent to roughly 1g of weed. Used mainly in the US.
- “a nick” – $5 dollars worth of bud. Used mainly in the US.
- “a sawbuck” – $10 dollars worth of weed. Also used mainly in the US.
- “a 20” – Equivalent to $20 worth of cannabis. Used in the US, Australia, New Zealand, and many other English speaking parts of the world.
- “a 50” – Equivalent of $50 worth of cannabis.
- “a dub” – A ubiquitous term that can sometimes mean a $20 bag or an eighth, depending on where you’re from and how well you get along with your dealer.
