All over the world, cannabis is an extremely popular medicinal and recreational drug. For a product that has such a wide reach, establishing a simple, standardized measuring system would make sense.
However, the cannabis community has rarely adhered to conventional norms.
One of the major challenges of measuring weed is keeping track of the metric and imperial systems. Because both metrics are used, keeping track of exactly how much weed you have can be difficult.
As your stash or harvest grows, you may ask yourself what a pound of weed is.
It is important to fully understand the difference between a pound (lb) and an ounce (oz). While both of them are part of the imperial system, there are some key differences.
An ounce measures both weight and volume, while a pound only measures weight. This may seem like a minor discrepancy, but it will become vital later on. A pound is distinctively larger than an ounce.
An ounce is a 16th of a pound or 28, 35 grams, while a pound is 16 ounces or 453,59 grams. But cannabis vendors and dispensaries usually round an ounce of weed to 28 grams.
So, for clarity’s sake, a pound is 16 times larger than an ounce. In the imperial system, a pound equals 16 ounces and in the metric system, it equals 0,45 kilograms or 453,592 grams.
This is where that minor distinction we pointed out earlier comes into play. A pound will always weigh the same but, unlike an ounce, it may have varying masses. An ounce of weed, however, will always have approximately the same mass and weight.
Different strains of weed have different density variations. Indica strains are denser with tightly packed trichomes, and sativa strains are longer and airier. This means that a pound of an indica strain will look quite a lot smaller than a pound of a sativa strain of marijuana.
A pound of weed is approximately just bigger than a football. This estimation can vary widely, though, because of the size and quality of the nug.
Think of it like the old riddle that asks whether a ton of solid gold weighs more than a ton of feathers. Both the gold and the feathers will weigh the same because a ton is a standardized unit of measurement.
Whether your weed buds are denser and smaller or they are thinner and longer, a pound of weed will always weigh the same amount.
Either way, a pound of weed is a huge amount.
A pound of cannabis is 443, 59 grams, or 16 ounces. But this can be difficult to visualize, so let’s break it down into more simple “nugs” of conversions.
As we’ve already established, a pound of weed is a large amount. In fact, it is one of the biggest amounts of weed that one can buy. It is not the norm for the average cannabis consumer to buy a pound.Typically, it is only dispensaries or vendors that opt for this amount.
A pound of weed can be broken into four equal quarter pounds (QP) of 113,4 grams. There are four ounces of weed (at 28 grams each) in a quarter pound. So, 4 ounces multiplied by 4 quarter pounds is 16 ounces in one pound.
An ounce of weed is most commonly further separated into eighths. As the name would suggest, there are 8 eighths of 3.5 grams in an ounce of weed. So, 8 eighths multiplied by 4 ounces multiplied by 4 quarter pounds is 128 eighths in one pound.
As we said: that’s an enormous amount of weed!
If all those calculations were difficult to follow, here is a handy conversion table to help you. You can also use this table when purchasing cannabis to double-check that you received the amount you paid for.
Return to this chart as a guide any time you are unsure of your quantities.
Pounds |
Ounces |
Grams |
| 1 Dime | 0,035 Ounces | 1 Gram |
| 1 Eighth | ⅛ Ounce | 3,5 Grams |
| 1 Quarter | ¼ Ounce | 7 Grams |
| 1 Half | ½ Ounce | 14 Grams |
| 1 Ounce | 28 Grams | |
| 1 Pound | 16 Ounces | 453 Grams |
| Ounces to Pound: | 1 Ounce | 0,062 Pounds |
| Grams to Pound: | 1 Gram | 0,002 Pounds |
| Pound to Grams: | 1 Pound | 453,59 Grams |
The price of a pound of weed will vary widely depending on the dispensary or vendor and the strain and quality. But you can expect to pay somewhere between $800 and $2000. If you are purchasing top-quality cannabis, you can expect to pay even more.
As a rule of thumb, flower from plants that were grown inside (indoor weed) is more expensive. Flower harvested from a greenhouse outside (outdoor weed) is usually more affordable. Indoor buds are also usually more potent and of a higher quality than outdoor buds.
The strain of weed you decide on can also affect the price of a pound of weed. More common strains that most vendors sell are more affordable. Rarer strains, which you can only purchase from specialized dispensaries, are more expensive. Rare strains can offer a higher potency and a more unique experience.
It is completely up to you to weigh up the benefits and drawbacks of different weed options. Would you rather have affordable, common marijuana? Or higher quality, more expensive marijuana?
In the United States, as with the rest of the world, the laws around weed are not fixed and vary from place to place. But it is not as simple as whether the sale, use and possession of cannabis is allowed. Different states in the USA have different policies about weed.
In most American states where weed is legal, there is a limit on how much you may own. In most states, it is illegal to have a pound of weed in your possession.
The exception is the state of Minnesota. Its residents may have up to two ounces on them in public places and a whopping two pounds in their private residences.
We highly recommend researching the specific laws and regulations of your state or country. This will help you make responsible choices about purchasing a pound of weed.
As we’ve emphasized before, a pound of cannabis is a large amount of weed. It will last the average, casual user a considerable amount of time to use it all. That is why it is important to know to store it safely and effectively to keep it fresh for as long as possible.
It is not dangerous to use old weed as it won’t expire, but it will lose potency and flavor over time. Medically speaking, it’s not unsafe to use degraded nugs, but you might experience a less consuming high.
The same general house rules apply to storing weed as to many other pantry items. A cool, dark, and dry place is best to increase the shelf life of your cannabis. Too much exposure to the sun will degrade the terpenes while moisture will encourage mold growth.
Avoid using containers made of certain metals (like aluminum) to store your weed long-term. Over time, your weed may take on a distasteful metallic flavor. Other metals, like titanium or food-safe stainless steel, won’t affect the taste of your cannabis as they are more neutral.
We also don’t recommend storing your precious weed in a plastic bag, like a ziplock bag, because it won’t hold the scent as well as other kinds of containers. And if you store it next to other foods, the distinctive scent might become infused with other pantry foods.
The best way to store large amounts of weed for a lengthy period is in a glass jar with an airtight screw top. The glass won’t change the flavor of your weed and its potency won’t affect the surrounding items .
If you can get your hands on a jar made from tinted glass, you can also protect your weed from any sunlight.
That’s why we’ve taken the time to break down the differences between the imperial system (like ounces and pounds) and the metric system (like grams and kilograms). We’ve also explored common ways of dividing up weed.
So if you feel a bit lost in all the information out there, don’t worry. You’re not alone.
Our goal with this guide to a pound of weed is to make things clearer for you. Think of it as a handy resource you can turn to whenever you need it.
You can also head over to any of our Embarc dispensaries and our assistants will be happy to help you.
