So you’ve made it to the dispensary, and you’ve even picked out the marijuana flower you’re planning to bring home. Then, the budtender asks you how much you’re interested in purchasing. As cannabis experts, they will absolutely help you decide how much marijuana to purchase, but it’s also nice to come in prepared. That’s why we’ve created this guide to marijuana measurements. We’ll cover some of the most common cannabis weights that dispensaries sell, including ounces, grams, half ounces, eighths, and more.

If you’ve grown up in the US, you know we love our imperial system of measurements, including feet, miles, ounces, gallons, and so on. Across the pond, they use the metric system, such as meters, liters, and grams. The marijuana industry in the US borrows from the Europeans and utilizes the metric system to measure marijuana, weighing flower, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, and more in grams, milligrams, and milliliters.

If cannabis measurements are feeling like a lot of math, and math isn’t your strong suit, don’t stress. It’s actually a lot easier than it seems. You can use this cannabis weights chart for a reference:

1 gram = 1/28 of an ounce

3.5 grams = 1/8 of an ounce or eighth

7 grams = 1/4 of an ounce or quarter

14 grams = ½ of an ounce or half

28 grams = 1 ounce

453 grams = 1 pound

Here’s a breakdown of some of the most popular marijuana amounts you’ll find at a dispensary and what those measurements visually translate to.

A gram of cannabis flower is typically the smallest amount of marijuana you can purchase. This is the perfect purchase to try a new strain of flower, and it’s also budget friendly. This means you don’t have to spend a lot of cash to try some top-quality flower. Of course, you can also purchase shake and popcorn flower in gram sizes.

A marijuana gram equates to a medium-to-large flower bud. It’s possible you can also get a couple of small popcorn buds that come out to a gram. If you’re a casual consumer or new to marijuana, this is a great starter amount to consume. 

If you like to roll your own marijuana “joint,” a gram of cannabis will give you one good sized roll or two medium sized rolls.

An eighth of an ounce of marijuana is 3.5 grams. This is one of the most popular amounts of marijuana to purchase from a dispensary, and it’s a favorite amount for top-shelf flower.

If you were able to reach into one of the jars that hold the premium flower and pull out a handful of buds (don’t do this), that’s likely about an eighth of cannabis. In terms of consumption, an eighth is about 3-4 nuggets of your favorite strain, and it’s enough marijuana to be able to roll a full week’s worth of moderate-sized marijuana cigarettes, assuming you consume one a day.

A quarter ounce of marijuana comes out to roughly seven grams of marijuana flower. This is, for most moderate cannabis consumers, more than enough to get you through a couple weeks before you need to make another visit to your dispensary.

For a quarter ounce, you’re going to have enough flower to fill an average soda can. If you like to roll thick marijuana cigarettes, you can easily get about seven out of this amount, and if you prefer more moderate sized rolls, plan to get about 14 out of this purchase.

A half ounce, or 14 grams, is another common-sized purchase for cannabis consumers who know their favorite strain. This amount can get most marijuana enthusiasts through about a month before they’re coming back to purchase more. It's also a good amount to purchase if you know what you like and want to save money. Instead of purchasing smaller amounts multiple times, you can typically get a little more for a little less—especially if you’re good to your budtender. 

Ever purchase a box of sandwich bags to pack your lunch? That sandwich bag can hold about half an ounce of marijuana. While you can roll plenty of marijuana cigarettes to enjoy with a half an ounce of cannabis, most people are also going to be packing pipes with this amount of marijuana.

One ounce of marijuana equals 28 grams. In many states, you cannot purchase more than an ounce at a time, and some states don’t allow you to possess more than an ounce or two too.

While you can roll a month’s worth of cannabis cigarettes, and fill an average cookie tin with this much cannabis, it’s also a good amount if you’re looking to make your own edibles. While everyone is different, an ounce would last many cannabis enthusiasts a month-and-a-half to two months.

A pound of marijuana comes out to 453 grams or 16 ounces, and there isn’t a state in the country that allows any recreational consumer or medical marijuana patient to have this much marijuana at a time. These amounts are reserved for producers, retailers, and manufacturers.

A pound of cannabis can fill most jars in a dispensary and the gallon resealable bags you may have in your kitchen. This is more cannabis than any consumer needs which is why these amounts are strictly for industry producers and retailers.

Ready to buy? Check out our guide for how to store flower and protect your purchase.

Every state has its own laws that dictate how much both recreational consumers and medical marijuana patients can buy. For many states, you’re allowed to purchase and possess about an ounce of marijuana. There are some states that even allow you to grow your own marijuana, provided it’s contained and inaccessible to anyone but you. While we always suggest that you know the laws in your state in terms of how much cannabis flower you can purchase, your budtenders will always ensure that you adhere to your state mandates.

Once you get a hang for how much marijuana comes with each measured amount, you’ll easily know how much you need. Still, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have about marijuana measurements, including:

How many grams are in an eighth of marijuana?
There are 3.5 grams in an eighth of marijuana.

How much is an ounce of marijuana?
An ounce of marijuana is 28 grams.

What is a quarter of marijuana?
A quarter of marijuana is 7 grams.

Slang terms are a thing of the past, so it’s important to know and understand modern marijuana dispensary measurements to ensure you are getting exactly what you want. And if you don’t know, just ask a budtender! They’re there to help you through your entire purchase process.