In the business of buying and selling weed, a few measurements rule the marijuana marketplace: a “gram”, a “quarter”, a “half”, and the ever-popular “eighth of weed.” 

Pot purchasers unfamiliar with those actual mathematical breakdowns may very well just think, “A gram is just a little bit of bud; an eighth of weed is a go-to for good toking; a quarter is best to order when looking to make it last; and a half is stocking up.” (We know this line of logic from experience—years of experience.)

For practical purposes, that general knowledge is sufficient to keep you supplied with weed in a functional manner. But knowledge is power and, when it comes to cannabis, MERRY JANE wants to help make your brain high and mighty. So, here’s everything you need to know when it comes to an eighth of weed.

An Eighth of Weed Is an Eighth of an Ounce of Weed

Let’s first establish that each of the most familiar pot units are a fraction of one ounce. An “eighth of weed” is 1/8 of an ounce; a “quarter” is ¼ of an ounce, and a “half” is ½ of an ounce. An “ounce” is just that—once ounce of weed, or 1/16 of a pound. Dealing with an entire pound of pot is generally the exclusive domain of actual pot dealers, so don’t sweat that.

Only Ask for an “Eighth of Weed” in the U.S.

An eighth of weed is strictly an American thing because it’s an eighth of an ounce, and an ounce (along with a pound) is part of the English nobility measurement system—an antiquated means of weighing and measuring that is presently employed on Earth by three countries and three countries only: Myanmar, Liberia, and the United States.

Every other place on the planet uses the metric system to weigh weed (and everything else). The metric system contains terms such as milligrams, centigrams, decigrams, and grams. 

Wait, Pot Comes in Grams in the US! How Many Grams Are in an Eighth of Weed? 

Indeed, along with bottling soda in liter containers and measuring foot races by kilometers, the gram is the only other metric measurement term that has become common in the United States—and perhaps nowhere more importantly that in the weed business.

An ounce of weed is 28 grams of the green stuff. An eighth of weed is 3.5436 grams, or a bit more than one-third of an ounce (0.3495 grams more, to be exact). Grams are crucial when it comes to weighing your cannabis to make sure it’s accurate. So, using a properly calibrated scale is essential.

In places where pot remains illegal, peddlers tend to round down and consider 3.5 grams to be an eighth of weed. This is especially common when it comes to using standard scale measurements. That means the customer is likely getting shorted a little bit.

In legal dispensaries, however, an eighth of weed is precisely weighed out and packaged ahead of time. But it’s always good practice to weigh your flower once you get home so you know for certain you aren’t getting screwed. And if you are, you’re justified to call and complain!

But in order to ensure the figure on your scale is right, you’ll need a sufficiently designed device that tracks grams and fractions of grams. That means using your bathroom scale won’t work for making sure your eighth of weed is just that: A true eighth of weed, with exactly 3.5436 grams.

Always remember when it comes to weighing an eighth of weed: A true eighth of weed is most definitely not “just slightly less than an eighth of weed.”

How Much Does an Eighth of Weed Cost?

The price of pot varies by region and, of course, whether you’re buying bud from a licensed outlet or out of some dude’s basement. Those distinctions will make a considerable difference.

At legal dispensaries, an eighth of weed tends to average between $35 and $50, with select strains going for up to $70 or more. When picking up an eighth of weed from a random dealer in legal areas, you can expect to shell out a little less, in the range of $25 to $40 for an eighth of weed.

Scoring an eighth of weed in a place where pot is outlawed will always drive up the price. Street dealers usually charge between $40 and $60 for an eighth of weed. Of course, since you’re at the mercy of the seller’s whims in that case, it’s possible you’ll get charged more than that. Get a good sense of what an eighth of weed is properly worth before paying anything exorbitant.

What Does an Eight of Weed Have in Common with Pizza?

In measurement terms, an eighth of weed is sometimes referred to as a “slice.” That’s because pizzas also come in eight slices.

In marijuana terms, an eighth of weed, when paired with pizza, is pure munchie magic. Whether legal or illegal, an eighth of weed plus pizza is marijuana math that works perfectly every time.