Understanding Cannabis Measurements

When browsing our menu, you’ve no doubt noticed our prices vary according to weight. But how much cannabis is in a gram? And most cannabis users have heard of an “eighth” — but an eighth of what? 

At Rev, we’re here to answer these questions and more. If you’re new to the world of cannabis, understanding cannabis measurements is an important first step in learning how to navigate your dispensary. As your go-to dispensary in Mass, Rev uses cannabis measurements according to the most up-to-date industry standards. Here’s what you need to know about measuring cannabis.

Using the metric system for cannabis measurements

Going to the dispensary is a blast, especially if you’re just getting started on your cannabis journey. Whether you’re visiting a dispensary in Massachusetts, or in any other US state where cannabis can be legally sold and consumed, you’ll encounter measurements in the metric system. 

The metric system is used by nearly every country in the world as the standard way to measure distances, quantities, volumes, and more. The US is one of the few countries that uses the imperial system instead of the metric system. Nevertheless, there are still a few industries in the US where the metric system is the standard system of measurement — and cannabis is one of these industries.

As a casual cannabis consumer, you’re likely to only encounter one measurement in the metric system: the gram. The gram is a measurement of mass, used in most commercial cannabis sales. To get an idea of the size of a gram, one joint is usually between 1.5 to 2 grams of flower.

Measuring cannabis with the right vocab

So, if a gram is a standard measurement of mass, what do all those other measurements mean — like “eighth”, “quarter”, or “dime bag”? These refer to larger amounts of cannabis, which use the imperial system to measure quantity.

Instead of using grams to measure mass, the imperial system uses ounces to measure weight. Weight is a measure of mass that factors in gravitational force. But for all practical purposes, weight and mass are interchangeable, since everywhere on earth has roughly the same gravitational force.

With some standard conversions, we can calculate how many grams are in an ounce of cannabis. Ounces are used to measure larger quantities of cannabis — 1 oz is approximately 28.35g. So, how much is in an eighth of an ounce (a.k.a. an “eighth”)? With some basic math, we can see that an eighth is approximately 3.5g, while a “quarter” is approximately 7g, and a “half” is 14g. Most dispensaries consider an ounce to be an even 28g to make conversions simpler. 

The standard imperial units — ounces and pounds (16 oz) — are much larger quantities than grams. For this reason, imperial units are usually used for industrial-sized quantities of cannabis, sold only by licensed operators. So, nearly every purchase you make from a dispensary in Mass will be measured in grams, or in fractions of an ounce. 

Another common term for cannabis is a “dime” (or a “dime bag”). This simply refers to the price of a bag, not a quantity of cannabis. A “dime” is $10 worth of cannabis, which can be an unpredictable quantity. Because it’s so unspecific, this term is not used too often at commercial dispensaries.

Visit Rev Clinics to learn more

With a mix of metric and imperial units, measuring cannabis isn’t as easy as it looks. If you’re wondering how much ⅛ of weed is — or how to measure ¼ in grams — you’ve come to the right place. Learning how to measure cannabis is the start of an exciting, empowering journey into the world of cannabis. 

At Rev, our staff is passionate about medical cannabis and knowledgeable in many aspects of this industry. For cannabis delivery in the greater Boston area or pickup from our online store, visit one of our Massachusetts dispensary locations today!