If you’re new to the world of weed, knowing how to purchase an appropriate amount can be challenging. In Canada, we use the metric system ,which means you’ll often see weed broken down into grams. But then again, sometimes you’ll hear someone asking for a dime bag, dub sack, eighth, quarter, half ounce, ounce, or QP (aka quarter pound).If you’re lost, don’t worry! This article is here for you, so keep reading.
You’ll not only learn how much is an ounce of weed, but also the different quantities of cannabis you can buy, how the weed rating system works, how much weed you can legally carry in Canada, and much more!
Breakdown of Weed Quantities
Cannabis measurements are something of a numbers game. Whether you want to buy enough for a single joint or enough to last the whole week, you’ll not only need to know how cannabis measurements break down, but also how much you smoke on average.
As a consumer, you’ll likely purchase pot in smaller quantities. Bulk weed is measured in kilograms (kg), but smaller amounts are centered around the ounce (oz.), which is .0283495 kilograms, which rounds down to 28 grams.
It’s perfectly acceptable to request this amount at a dispensary, but the shop may have other measurements that might work better for you.
Some of the most common weed measurements include:
An eighth (3.5 grams)
As the most common measurement requested at dispensaries, an “eighth of weed”—also known as a half-quarter— refers to an eighth of an ounce, which is equivalent to 3.543603875 grams. This weight is rounded down to the nearest tenth, making the market weight 3.5 grams. This amount is enough for several joints or two blunts. Depending on how much you smoke, an eighth can last you anywhere from a heavy session to a few days.
A quarter (7 grams)
At double the size of an eighth, a quarter will yield a larger bag, making it perfect for people who want to buy enough to last for several days. It’s seven grams worth of weed that can produce up to 15 joints or 10 blunts.
One half (14 grams)
This amount is ideal if you want to stock up on pot; it will last a while, even if you smoke regularly. Half an ounce is 14 grams. That’s enough to give you around 20 blunts and 30 joints, depending on how full you pack them.
An ounce (28 grams)
This is the highest amount a person can usually purchase at a dispensary. An ounce is equal to 28 grams of weed and is more than enough for a week’s work of blunts for a heavy smoker or a couple months’ worth of joints for a moderate or occasional consumer.
THC: the key to potency
If you’re an experienced cannabis consumer, you might be more interested in the tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) content than how much an ounce of weed is, since THC is the primary component that produces the euphoric high and relaxation most people seek when purchasing pot.
Whether you buy bud, edibles, or concentrates, you’ll see the THC content in percentage or milligrams on the label or packaging. This figure refers to the potency of the strain. The higher it is, the stronger the weed.
For example, a product labelled with 20% THC or 200 mg/g would contain 200 milligrams of THC per gram. You’ll never find weed that has 100% THC because marijuana plants consist of other compounds besides THC, but you can find potent strains if you know where to look. In Canada, the average THC content is ranges from 15% to 30%.
Grams vs. Ounces
A gram is a unit of measurement equal to one-thousandth of a kilogram and is used widely in dispensaries to weigh smaller amounts of product. Though weed measurements are often centred on the ounce, the gram is the smallest and most common measurement for buying cannabis.
For instance, if you want to try a new strain and only want enough for a joint or two, you can ask for one or two grams. Most of the pre-rolled joints sold at dispensaries are filled with a gram of weed, but some retailers offer shorter joints with a half-gram or quarter-gram.
Scales are the best way to determine the weight of weed, but you can sometimes eyeball the amount to get a general idea. For accuracy, a scale is best because the bud itself can vary depending on the strain, which can be dense or fluffy.
An ounce, on the other hand, can range from the size of a fist to a coconut. It’s enough bud to make over 50 joints or more than 30 tightly-packed blunts.
- Tip: It’s not advised to own more than an ounce of cannabis at one time because law enforcement equates possession of massive amounts with an intent to sell, which is illegal unless you’re an authorized dispensary.
Pricing and Weed Rating System
With the legalization of weed in Canada, the market is flooded with low-quality batches, but rating systems help consumers understand how much potency a strain has. While there isn’t a central rating system used by every dispensary in the country, the most accepted one is the A-AAAA grading system, where A is the lowest quality, and AAAA is the highest.
Here is a breakdown of the system.
AAAA
Cannabis under this rating is the best quality. Everything about it is top-tier, from its smell to its taste. The tightly-packed bud will have plenty of trichomes—tiny outgrowths responsible for the flower’s potency—and bits of vibrant orange, red, blue, or purple colouring.
AAA
The AAA rating is the most commonly purchased grade of cannabis. It’s still a widely available, high-quality product, but the flower is not as dense or as attractive as the top tier.
AA
If you’re on a tight budget, this grade of cannabis is what you’ll get. It’s often discoloured with lots of brown, and the smell might be less than appealing. Some dispensaries will have lower-tiered products at affordable prices without sacrificing too much of the weed’s quality.
A
Weed under this rating is the lowest quality. Sometimes this type of weed is nothing more than the remains of a flower used for its extracts and sold for extra profit.
Pricing
When it comes to pricing, you’ll definitely pay more for the best products on the market, but prices will vary by region. Highly rated, AAAA cannabis can be over $10/g, while the cheapest bargain bin buds can be as low as $5/g or lower.
Some places will offer bulk discounts, with lower prices per gram if you get an ounce over the smaller quantities.
How Much Weed Is Legal in Canada?
Canada has a long history with weed. The plant’s use was banned in 1923, but it was legalized for medicinal purposes in 2001. In 2017, the Senate of Canada passed the Cannabis Act, or Bill C-45, which allowed legal recreational use and sale of cannabis.
Under this bill, people are allowed to use, possess, and grow recreational weed. The minimum age requirement is 19 across the country, except for Quebec and Alberta, where the legal age of possession is 21 and 18, respectively.
Though it is legal to buy weed in Canada, there are restrictions on how much you can legally purchase and own. The amount of weed you can lawfully have is 30 grams of dried flower, which is just over an ounce of weed. That’s well over 60 or more joints, so it’s a substantial amount that will last a while, even if you’re an avid smoker.
You can also legally possess the following:
- 7.5 grams of cannabis concentrates
- 30 seeds
- 150 grams of fresh cannabis
- 2,100 grams of liquid cannabis extracts
- 450 grams of edibles
The legal equivalents of one gram of dried cannabis are:
- 0.25 grams of liquid or solid concentrates
- One cannabis seed
- 5 grams of fresh products
- 70 grams of liquid
- 15 grams of edibles
Adults can purchase weed products in every province and territory through private retailers, online purveyors, and government websites. If you want to grow a cannabis plant at home, the government allows you to have no more than four plants per residence for recreational use, but the seeds must come from licensed sellers. Quebec and Manitoba, however, ban growing marijuana plants at home.
Finding Cheap Weed Online
Though some areas of the country have brick-and-mortar dispensaries, online retailers are among the most popular ways to purchase cannabis products. Not only does this option allow you to buy weed at any time from any part of Canada, but online retailers also have a wide selection of items, from flower and vapes to pre-rolled joints. The advantage here will be especially obvious to people who use pot to treat chronic pain but cannot travel to a physical location.
Just because you choose to purchase cannabis online doesn’t mean you’ll receive low-quality items or pay high prices. Finding good, cheap weed online is possible because the overhead costs of operating the business are significantly lower than brick-and-mortar shops. They use warehouses to store products and don’t have to worry about cutting into their profits to pay for additional sales attendants, security, or rent.
The lack of additional overhead costs allows online dispensaries to offer discounts, sales, and coupons to the customer, making products more affordable. You can also save on delivery costs, as many retailers offer free or discounted shipping if you reach a predetermined minimum limit.
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Finding Premium Flower Online
When shopping online, you want to find the best quality flower at a reasonable price. Premium flower has the most intoxicating effects because it has high THC potency. For top-shelf bud, you want to look for the following:
- High-quality bud should have a deep green colour with interwoven purples, oranges, or red strands and plenty of visible trichomes.
- The flower should have a pungent scent, often described as “dank” or “loud.” The stronger the smell, the more likely you’ll experience an intricate high.
- Premium flower should have a sticky surface with a slightly spongy texture. It isn’t dry and shouldn’t crumble under pressure.
The best way to ensure you’re getting premium flower is to order only from verified dispensaries. All legitimate online retailers should have contact information on their website that you can verify.
Once you find a dispensary, view their flower selections and choose one that’s lab-certified. This way, you’ll know the product is safe and has the potency you want. Also, understand that while you can undoubtedly buy quality weed at a reasonable price, you will pay more for the top-shelf products.
Price Comparison: Flower vs. Concentrate
Flower isn’t the only way to experience the effects of cannabis. Concentrates—also known as wax, honey oil, tinctures, resin, and crumble—are extracted from the flower in concentrated form. These substances are incredibly potent; THC content in weed concentrates can range from 40% to 80%. Conversely, the average THC content in premium flower is about 15 – 30%.
Consuming cannabis concentrate allows users to get a strong dose of THC without inhaling the burnt flower, making it an effective alternative to smoking. It’s also best for experienced cannabis consumers because a little bit of concentrate will go a long way, and it’s easy to overdo it accidentally.
Weed flower and concentrates are widely available in Canada, but concentrates are more expensive than the flower. An abundance of THC content is the primary reason for the higher price. The average cost of a gram of wax is between $35 and $45, but those prices typically decrease when you buy in bulk.
Conclusion
Now that you know how much an ounce of weed is, it’s time to place your order with our team at XpressGrass As one of Canada’s most reliable online cannabis dispensaries, we offer an impressive selection of weed products, including premium flowers, edibles, concentrates, and vapes, as well as discreet shipping.
