If you’ve been keeping up the news on cannabis legalization in Canada, you’ve probably heard a lot about weights and measurements.
For example, the Liberal government’s Cannabis Act would permit an adult to carry up to 30 grams of marijuana in public without fear of arrest.
To the uninitiated, though, “30 grams of marijuana” means little. Estimating weights in grams at all might be a bit of a stretch, unless you do a lot of baking.
No worries: The Leaf is here for you. We’ve put together this photo guide to different amounts of cannabis.
One gram of cannabis
A gram, an eighth, an ounce–what does it all mean? We’ve all been there at one point. Attempting to make sense of the names associated with different cannabis quantities can be challenging. Central to the confusion is conceptualization of weight, which depends on both product size and density.
If you are new to cannabis, we hope this video and visual guide will provide you with a general framework to wrap your head around the common sale quantities for flower. Keep in mind that these depictions are approximations, given that density varies (at times drastically) between products. In other words, a dense cannabis flower can look a lot smaller than a fluffy bud and still carry the same weight.
Thankfully, cannabis shops and producers use digital scales to determine the exact weight of your weed before it is packaged. And, if you wish to weigh the weed from your own garden or verify your purchased products, digital scales can easily be found for purchase. Remember that moisture is part of the weight. Cannabis flower will lose weight as it ages and dries out.
How to convert ounces of weed to grams
For reference, here is a quick conversion guide from ounces of weed into grams.
- Eighth (1/8) ounce = 3.5 grams
- Quarter (1/4) ounce = 7 grams
- Half (1/2) ounce = 14 grams
- Full (1) ounce = 28 grams
The price of flower varies depending on the quality of the product and the market in which it is sold. You can expect to pay between $4 and $20 for a gram of flower—sometimes getting a price break when you purchase larger quantities.
Express Summary: Ounces vs grams of weed
Cannabis quantities can be confusing. How much is a gram of weed? How big is an ounce? And an eighth is an eighth of what, exactly? Let’s zoom out. Cannabis flower is often sold in quantities, ranging from one gram to one ounce. Some common terms you hear are an eighth, which means an eighth of an ounce (or three and a half grams), a quarter ounce (or seven grams), and a half ounce, (14 grams).
The smallest amount of cannabis flour you can typically buy is one gram. A gram is going to roll about two joints or three to four bowls, making it a great option for the occasional consumer or when trying a new strain. Next size up is three and a half grams, or an eighth. That’s enough for about seven joints, seven grams or quarter ounce will get you about 14 joints, which means that 14 grams (or a half ounce) can roll nearly 30 joints. So, a full ounce of cannabis, which is 28 grams, can roll nearly 60 joints or pack upwards of 100 bowls. It’s worth noting that pre-rolled joints are often sold in half gram or full gram quantities. You may choose a half gram to share with a friend or a full gram for a larger group.
The last thing to know is about density of your cannabis flower, as it varies greatly by strain. So an eighth of dense gelato buds might look full and dense, while an eighth of Maui Wowie buds look light and fluffy.
Five grams of cannabis
Feast your eyes on five grams of cannabis bud. It weighs a little less than the loonie shown for comparison (which weighs in at almost seven grams).
The Cannabis Act, which is not yet law, would permit Canadians between the ages of 12 and 18 to possess up to five grams of cannabis without facing criminal prosecution.
Young people caught carrying more than five grams could face sentences under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The federal government says it wants to prevent young Canadians from being saddled with criminal records for possession of small amounts of cannabis.
Individual provinces can also create their own laws regarding youth possession of cannabis, and could even lower the proposed federal limit of five grams.
Ten grams of cannabis
Now we’re into the double digits: behold, 10 grams of weed.
Dried bud like this can be smoked or vaporized, but there are other ways to consume cannabis: edible products made with cannabis oil or butter; concentrates such as hashish or shatter; topical creams; and even pills.
Schedule 3 of the proposed Cannabis Act sets out the legal weight equivalents for these different kinds of cannabis preparations. One gram of dried cannabis bud, for example, will be equivalent to 0.25 grams of solid concentrates or five grams of freshly harvested cannabis. One cannabis seed will be the legal equivalent of one gram of dried cannabis.
Thirty grams of cannabis
This picture shows 30 grams of cannabis, or slightly more than one ounce.
Thirty grams of legally produced marijuana will be the federal government’s legal limit on public possession for Canadian adults if the Cannabis Act becomes law. (There will not be a legal limit on possession in private, according to the Department of Justice.)
Under the Cannabis Act, individual Canadian adults will be able to legally share (but not buy or sell) up to 30 grams of dried cannabis or the equivalent with their peers.
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