Understanding the Basics of Weed Prices

How much should you pay for weed? Well, it depends on how much you want. The best part? Cannabis measurements are weird. People use metric and imperial measurement systems interchangeably when talking about quantity measurements of weed, and if you don’t know how much an ounce is, asking for a Q won’t make any sense. For many people, buying weed is the only time in life when fractions actually matter (and then again when you’re making edibles, of course.)

What to Pay for Weed

With a little practice and some visual cues (like your flower) you can easily digest the wacky world of weed measurements and, most importantly, get the right price for your bud. After all, who wants to think they’re getting a great deal on flower only to find out they bought a gram (AKA enough for a single joint?) Below we'll cover cannabis weights and expected prices for weed.

Weed Measurements: Ounces and Grams

The weight of cannabis flower is measured out in both ounces and grams, which is one of the primary reasons people get confused.

A pound of weed is massive, a whopping 448 grams. A pound of weed contains 16 ounces! Weed is sold by producers or growers in pounds, but you won’t find a pound of dank for sale at a recreational or medical dispensary. In the old school days you may be able to get a football-shaped pound of weed in a turkey bag from your guy, but these days the only way you’re getting a pound of weed is if you grow it yourself. (And we can help with that!)

A quarter pound, quanter pounder, or QP, is a fourth of a pound. A quarter of an pound is a larger amount of weed and works best for someone who smokes regularly.

An ounce of cannabis is 28 grams. This is usually the largest quantity of flower you can buy legally, and many dispensaries don’t have “full Os” to sell (though this can vary based on medical, recreational, and local regulations) You can visualize a full ounce in a sandwich sized ziplock baggie. Also called a “zip.”

A half is short for half an ounce, and it’s 14 grams. This is often the largest pack of flower for sale in recreational dispensaries. If you went to a guy on the street to get a half, you’re likely to get a half sandwich bag full of weed. Also called a “half zip” or a half-O, a half is getting into bulk sizes of weed bags.

A quarter, or Q for short, is a quarter ounce, or 7 grams (roughly). Getting a Q is an economical way to get more weed at once, without committing to a half or an O of one strain. 

An eighth is 3.5 grams or an eighth of an ounce. This is the most popular of the weed weights that recreational cannabis consumers and medical patients buy at dispensaries, and is great for trying new strains and people who smoke a few times a week. Depending on how big the nugs in the package are, an eighth ounce may have two, four, or six nugs. Also called a “slice.”

A gram is the smallest amount of marijuana flower you can buy and is usually just one nug. Also called a “g” or, in the legacy market, "a dime bag,” as a gram of weed usually worked out to about $10. A gram is a good size for trying a new strain or for someone who doesn’t smoke often.

Concentrates and oils are also sold in grams, but a gram of shatter looks a lot different than a gram of bud so you'll want to ask your budtender to walk you through it.

Weed Measurement Guide Chart

How Much Should You Pay for Weed?

How much you’ll pay for weed depends most heavily on your location. Are you in a fully legal adult-use state, a medical state, or a prohibition state? If you don’t live somewhere where marijuana is legal, you can expect to pay more for it. How close you are to a US state or other country where the plant is legal also affects the price. Location is everything, but the cannabinoid content also affects the cost.

There can be massive fluctuations in weed costs depending on where you live and whether or not you are interested in medium-quality or high quality marijuana. Despite this, there is a range you can generally expect to pay for an eighth, a Q, or a half.

Average Price for 1 Gram of Marijuana

A good deal on a gram is $10 - $15, although in some legal states taxes and fees are so high you may pay as much as $20 - $25 for a single gram.

Average Price for ⅛ of Marijuana

A good deal on an eighth is anywhere from $20 - $35 but you won’t find those kinds of prices everywhere. In many legal states, you’ll see them priced slightly higher, between $35 and $50. Some eighths can even go as high as $75, but that’s not a good deal (so it better be high-quality weed!)

Average Cost for a Quarter of Weed

You can expect to pay anywhere from $50 - $100 for a quarter. You may see some Q prices above $100 but buyer be warned - that’s not a good deal! Qs aren’t available for sale in every dispensary because some producers favor eighths and halves.

Average Price for a Half Ounce of Weed

Once you get into bulk sizes for cannabis flower, the prices start to get a little more economical (a little!) You can expect to pay anywhere from $90 - $175 for a half oz depending on where you are. $100 for a half-ounce is a great deal no matter where you’re buying it from.

Average Cost for an Ounce of Weed

An ounce can be a lot of marijuana, but buying this much at once could save you money long-term (like buying paper towels at Costco.) You can typically expect to pay between $180 - $300 for an ounce of weed, depending on the flower strain and where you’re buying it.

FAQs About Prices for Weed

How much is a zip?

In marijuana measurements, a zip is an ounce of weed. Depending on location, quality, and THC content, a zip of weed costs anywhere from $180 upwards of $300.

What’s a dub?

A dub is a slang term from the legacy cannabis market that refers to a $20 bag of marijuana. A dub typically contains around two grams of weed but this can vary. Like dime bags, you won't often see a dub sack in recreational use markets - they're an old-school measurement.

How much weed can I buy at once?

The purchase limit on weed size depends on where you live, but is generally 0.5 - 3 ounces in recreational markets. Many states cap you at one ounce a day, but there are a few outliers that allow for more. (In New York, consumers can buy up to 3 ounces of cannabis flower at once.)

Medical marijuana patients are typically allowed to buy more weed at once than recreational patients and can get price breaks.

How much is a gram of weed?

A gram of weed is the smallest amount you can buy from a dispensary. Depending on the size, it may contain one larger nug or a few smaller ones. One gram is enough for two small joints or a few bowl packs. One gram is a great option to buy when you want to try a new strain or are new to smoking. For reference, most pre-rolls are sold in 1/2-gram and 1-gram sizes.