Basics · 5 min read

Weed measurements: grams, eighths, quarters and ounces

What an eighth actually weighs, how the sizes convert and what each size looks like — plus a scale you can play with.

Play it

Can you hit an eighth?

Tap buds onto the scale. Every bud weighs something different — get as close to the target as you can, then lock it in. Budtenders do this all day; it is harder than it looks.

Target 3.5 g 0.00g

The tray — tap to weigh

Convert it

Weed converter: grams to eighths, quarters and ounces

3.5 g is an eighth of an ounce.

That is 1 eighth, half a quarter, or 0.125 oz.

Each jar is one eighth (3.5 g). The trade rounds an ounce to 28 g; strictly it is 28.35 g. New York's adult possession limit is three ounces of flower.

Cannabis flower is sold by weight, and the names come from fractions of an ounce rather than from the metric system — which is why “an eighth” is a common purchase and “3.5 grams” is the same thing said differently. Here is the whole vocabulary in one place, with what each size actually costs on our shelf in Dryden today.

The conversions, in full

Every size is a fraction of an ounce. Prices below are what is on our shelf in Dryden today, read straight from the live menu, so they move as the stock moves.

What it is calledGramsOf an ouncePrice herePer gram
A gram1 g1/28 oz$7$7
An eighth3.5 g1/8 oz$19 – $55$12
A quarter7 g1/4 oz$30 – $100$7.86
A half14 g1/2 oz$50 – $105$5
An ounce28 g1 oz$90 – $180$4.82

An ounce is 28.35 grams strictly speaking. The trade rounds it to 28 and always has, which is why an eighth is 3.5 rather than 3.54. New York’s possession limit for an adult is three ounces of flower, so every size on this table is a legal purchase here, an ounce included.

Browse every flower we have in stock — the menu lists the weight on each product, so you can see which sizes a given strain comes in. We cannot filter the menu by weight on its own, so it is worth scanning the size in each product name.

The half ounce, specifically

A half is 14 grams — half an ounce, four eighths, two quarters. It is the size people ask about most after the eighth. Ours run $50 to $105 depending on the grower, with 26 options on the shelf today.

Flower does not improve sitting in a jar, so a half is a size for something you already know you like rather than something you are trying for the first time.

Fourteen grams is comfortably inside New York’s three-ounce limit, so there is nothing unusual about buying one. Bring a valid government-issued ID showing you are 21 or older; no medical card is needed.

What each amount looks like

Density varies enormously between strains, so weight is a poor guide to volume. An eighth of a light, airy sativa can look like twice as much as an eighth of dense indica, and both weigh 3.5 grams on the scale. That is the honest answer to “what does it look like”, and it is also why a photograph helps more than a paragraph.

Everything sold in a licensed New York dispensary is weighed and labelled before it reaches the shelf, so what the package says is what is in the package. If you want to see the sizes side by side, ask at the counter and a budtender will put a few jars out for you.

Pre-rolls and everything else

Pre-rolls are sold by the gram of flower inside them — a 1-gram pre-roll contains a gram, a five-pack of half-gram joints contains 2.5 grams in total. Concentrates are sold in much smaller weights, usually a half gram or a gram, because they are far more potent by weight. Edibles and drinks are not weighed at all: they are labelled in milligrams of THC per piece, which is a different measurement entirely and is covered in the edibles dosing guide.

Buying in Dryden

You need a valid government-issued ID showing you are 21 or older. No medical card, no membership. We are on Route 13 between Ithaca and Cortland, open seven days, with a drive-thru window if you would rather not come inside. Browse the flower in stock, or come in and ask — a budtender will put a few jars on the counter so you can see the sizes side by side before you decide.

Test yourself

Weed weights: 4-question quiz

Question 1 of 4

How many grams are in an eighth?

Common questions

How many grams are in an eighth?
An eighth is 3.5 grams. It is one eighth of an ounce, and it is the most commonly bought size by a wide margin.
How much is an ounce of weed?
An ounce is 28 grams. Strictly it is 28.35 grams, but the trade has always rounded to 28, which is why an eighth is called 3.5 rather than 3.54.
How much is a half ounce?
A half ounce is 14 grams — four eighths, or two quarters. It is the size people ask about most after the eighth.
How many grams are in an ounce of weed?
Twenty-eight grams by trade convention. An ounce is also the largest single size most shops list, and it is well inside New York’s three-ounce possession limit for adults.
What is a zip?
A zip is slang for an ounce, 28 grams. The name comes from the size of bag an ounce used to be sold in.
How many grams are in a quarter?
A quarter ounce is 7 grams, which is two eighths.
What is the biggest amount I can legally buy in New York?
New York allows an adult 21 or older to possess up to three ounces of cannabis flower. Every size on this page is comfortably inside that, an ounce included.
Do I need a medical card to buy flower in Dryden?
No. A valid government-issued photo ID showing you are 21 or older is all that is required.

More on weights and sizes

Keep reading

Ready to browse?

Open seven days a week on Route 13 in Dryden, between Ithaca and Cortland. Walk in, order ahead for pick-up, use the drive-thru or have it delivered.