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Those who remember a time before cannabis legalization may recall the same awkward moment: someone says “grab me a dub”; an eighth of weed pops up in conversation; a song references a dime bag—and you nod along without a clue.
Terms like these define various amounts or price points for cannabis. Today, increasing legalization means marijuana is typically sold by weight (often grams), and as a result, they’ve shed some of their practical use.
However, they still remain commonplace in casual conversation and have even taken on a new kind of retro significance. Understanding cannabis amounts—and their labels—can be useful if you’re looking to polish your weed knowledge, or simply want to understand how cannabis culture has evolved over time.
Cannabis Slang: A Quick Snapshot
Before the early 2010s, recreational cannabis was illegal throughout the U.S. and Canada. In other areas, such as the Netherlands and Italy, it was controlled but increasingly tolerated as early as the 1970s. (European Union Drugs Agency [EUDA], n.d.; Room et al., 2008)
Accordingly, the terms “dime bag,” “dub,” and “eighth” emerged as shorthand to describe the amounts of cannabis buyers were actually purchasing. Legal cannabis markets would standardize how flower was measured and sold much later on, but at the time, these street-level terms were the primary ways people defined various quantities.
Generally speaking, cannabis slang can be divided into price-based terms and weight-based terms. For instance, a dime bag ($10) and a dub ($20) indicate how much the buyer spends. On the flip side, an eighth, quarter, half, or ounce describes the amount of cannabis the buyer receives.
This guide breaks down the major terms, gives the standardized gram equivalents, and compares those quantities with what the same amount might typically cost at licensed dispensaries today.
Image credit: Jess Loiterton
What is a Dime Bag?
Simply put, a dime bag, dime, or dime sack is $10 worth of cannabis. This term originated in the ‘60s or ‘70s, when small amounts of cannabis were commonly sold in small plastic baggies with set prices.
But what does a dime bag weigh? The exact amounts would vary based on the seller, local market, and the quality of the weed itself. Generally speaking, a dime bag was commonly understood to contain roughly ½ to 1 gram of dried bud.
Dime Bag Etymology
The term “dime bag” appeared well before modern cannabis legalization, with its broader street use tracing back as far as the 1960s and 1970s. Unlike terms such as “dub,” which took on numerous meanings, “dime bag” almost always appears in cannabis-related contexts.
The term began to pop up elsewhere during the 1970s, appearing as the title of a student literary publication out of York University. (Glendon College, 1970–1977). While it’s unclear if Dime Bag related to cannabis, psychedelic experiences, or the journal’s price, as a poetry-focused periodical, its name may have been, fittingly, left open to interpretation.
By the 1990s, “dime bag” was established enough to appear in newspaper slang glossaries, hip-hop, and popular culture. For example, “dime bag” appeared in The Notorious B.I.G.’s track “Gimme the Loot,” and was referenced multiple times on Ready to Die (Quintanilla, 1994).
Today, some cannabis retailers have also embraced the term with a wink, repackaging its retro status to cheekily refer to pouches, pre-roll tins, or budget-friendly options like pre-roll packs. (Dime Bag Cannabis, n.d.; Entourage Health Corp., 2023).
What is a Dub?
How much is a dub of weed? $20. Just like a dime sack, “dub” conveys a price, rather than the weight of the bud being purchased. .
Similar to “dime bag,” “dub,” didn’t necessarily mean a precise amount of weed. However there was a general, unwritten agreement that it would typically contain about 1-2 grams of bud.
Dub Etymology
“Double” and “double dime” are the most common terms associated with “dub’s” origin. A dime represents ten, and accordingly, a double dime means twenty.
While “dub” is highly recognizable as $20 worth of marijuana, the term itself took on numerous meanings throughout the second half of the twentieth century. its earliest recognized use was as 1940s-era slang for twenty bucks; a few decades later, it was came to mean twenty dollars’ worth of drugs, including cannabis.
While it remiained commonplace and well-known in cannabis culture, “dub” also expanded into car, music, and pop culture. A 2006 Los Angeles Times article notes its usage in “double dimes”—a nickname for the chromed-out 20-inch wheels that spiked in popularity during the late ‘90s. DUB magazine, founded in 2000, also took its name from this automotive slang. (Baker, 2000).
How Much Is an 8th of Weed?
An “eighth” is one-eighth of an ounce, making it a weight-based measurement rather than a price-based term. This is what separates it from terms like dime bag or dub. Those indicate how much is being spent, while an eighth of weed, and other gram- or ounce-related terms, convey how much cannabis is being purchased.
So, how much is an eighth of weed? The average price for an eighth of weed hovers around $20 in the United States, although costs can vary somewhat widely from one state to the next—especially when you account for other variables like the quality of the bud in question. In July 2026, Headset reported an average of $12.13 for an eighth of flower in Oregon, and $26.31 in Illinois.
What does an 8th of Weed Look Like?
When you picture an eighth of weed, there isn’t one standard, visual equivalent, as bud size and density can change depending on the strain. An eighth might consist of two to three decent-sized buds, while 3.5 grams of dense flower will occupy less space than fluffy flower would at the same weight.
Generally speaking, one eighth of weed can produce roughly 5–7 joints or about 7 half-gram bowls, depending on how much cannabis goes into each one. Smaller joints or bowls will, of course, stretch the same 3.5 grams further. A dispensary label or receipt also identifies the purchased weight, giving buyers a clear quantity rather than the variable amount associated with price-based street terms.
Weed Measurements Cheat Sheet: From Grams to Ounces
| Term | Meaning | Typical Amount |
| Nickel bag | $5 worth of cannabis. The amount was not standardized, but typically referred to roughly ½–1 gram. | ~0.25- 0.5 grams |
| Dime bag, dime, or dime sack | $10 worth of cannabis. The amount was not standardized, but typically referred to roughly ½–1 gram. | ~½–1 gram |
| Dub, dub sack, or twenty-bag | $20 worth of cannabis. Defined by price rather than weight, so the amount could vary. | 1- 2 grams |
| Eighth | One-eighth of an ounce. A weight-based term rather than a dollar amount. | 3.5 grams |
| Quarter, Q, or quad | One-quarter of an ounce. A weight-based term rather than a dollar amount. | 7 grams |
| Half-ounce, half, or half-zip | One-half of an ounce. All three terms refer to the same quantity. | 14 grams |
| Ounce or zip | One ounce of cannabis. A weight-based term specifying a precise quantity. | 28 grams |
This guide illustrates the approximate amounts of cannabis for each of the amounts we’ve discussed.
At first glance, weed amounts may seem like a jumble of seemingly arbitrary numbers and labels. We touched on this point above, but as a refresher, the easiest way to make sense of quantities is to separate price-based terms from weight-based measurements (i.e., how much is being spent vs the weight of the cannabis being purchased).
For example, a $10 dime bag, by definition, would always cost the same. But buying an eighth of weed at a licensed dispensary always means purchasing 3.5 grams, regardless of what that quantity costs.
Understanding this distinction is helpful, because the same $20 can buy different amounts depending on the market, product, and pricing system. Larger quantities also tend to have a lower price per gram, which is why buying an ounce can be considerably more economical than purchasing the same amount in a series of smaller quantities.
All this said, there is a practical limit when it comes to the quantity any one person is permitted to purchase. Legal possession limits vary by state, and many adult-use states set flower limits somewhere around one to two ounces, although some allow more. For example, Oregon permits adults to possess up to 2 ounces of usable marijuana (Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission, n.d.), while Washington’s adult-use limit is 1 ounce (Washington State Legislature, n.d.). Illinois permits residents age 21 and older to possess up to 60 grams, or just over 2 ounces, while nonresidents are limited to 30 grams (Illinois General Assembly, 2026).
A Final Note on Cannabis Slang
If you’re looking to sharpen your cannabis lexicon, marijuana slang can be just as important as many modern terms. They’re also good for history buffs who want a glimpse into the broader history of cannabis culture.
This said, cultivating your own cannabis from the comfort of home is, as it turns out, one way to skip the bag math entirely. Our guides are a great resource for learning about growing techniques and marijuana history alike, while our broad selection of high-quality seeds is here when you’re ready to put some of that knowledge to work.
FAQs
What is a dime sack?
A dime sack, dime bag, or simply “dime” of weed is an amount costing $10.
How much is a dime bag?
A dime of weed costs $10 by definition, but the amount of cannabis that $10 buys can vary. Historically, a dime bag might contain roughly 0.5 to 1 gram, depending on the seller and local prices. The term is fading as legal cannabis markets standardize sales by weight, making terms such as grams, eighths, and quarters more common.
How many grams are in an 8th of weed?
An eighth of weed is 3.5 grams. The name comes from the fact that an eighth is one-eighth of an ounce, and a standard cannabis ounce contains 28 grams. For growers, understanding these measurements is useful when comparing harvest yields, purchasing flower, or estimating how much cannabis is needed for a particular use.
Is a dub $20?
Yes. A dub is $20 worth of weed, and the term comes from the older slang used to describe a $20 purchase. “Dub sack” is another name for the same thing. Like dime bags, dub sacks don’t specify an exact weight because the amount of cannabis depends on local prices and the quality of the flower.
How much does an 8th of weed cost?
An eighth of weed, or 3.5 grams, can cost anywhere from roughly $20 to $60 or more, depending on the state, retailer, strain, and flower quality. Prices also vary significantly between medical and recreational markets. Taxes can add substantially to the final price, so the shelf price isn’t always the amount paid at checkout.
What’s bigger, a dime or a dub?
A dub is bigger than a dime in terms of dollar value. A dime bag represents $10 worth of cannabis, while a dub, or dub sack, represents $20 worth. Neither term specifies an exact weight, so the actual amount of flower can vary. In other words, a dub costs twice as much, but it isn’t necessarily twice the weight.
Do dispensaries sell dime bags?
No. Legal cannabis dispensaries generally sell flower by weight, using measurements such as grams, eighths (3.5 grams), and quarters (7 grams), rather than slang terms such as dime bags. The closest modern equivalent to a $10 purchase may be a 1-gram pre-roll or a half-gram pre-roll, depending on the dispensary and local pricing. Check the dispensary’s menu for current options.
References
European Union Drugs Agency. (n.d.). Cannabis policy: Status and recent developments. https://www.euda.europa.eu/publications/topic-overviews/cannabis-policy/html_en
Room, R., Fischer, B., Hall, W., Lenton, S., & Reuter, P. (2008). The global cannabis commission report: Cannabis policy: Moving beyond stalemate. Beckley Foundation. https://www.unodc.org/documents/ungass2016/Contributions/Civil/Beckley_Foundation/Cannabis-Commission-Report.pdf
Dime Bag Cannabis. (n.d.). About us. Retrieved August 27, 2026, from https://dimebagusa.com/
Entourage Health Corp. (2023, August 24). Entourage Health launches Dime Bag® branded pre-rolls and introduces Syndicate: A collective of craft cannabis. GlobeNewswire. https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2023/08/24/2731181/0/en/Entourage-Health-Launches-Dime-Bag-Branded-Pre-Rolls-and-Introduces-Syndicate-A-Collective-of-Craft-Cannabis.html
Glendon College. (1970–1977). Dime bag [Student literary publication]. Leslie Frost Library, York University. https://yorkspace.library.yorku.ca/items/d9ab6bac-62b3-40e8-9dd1-adade3e8f301
Ganjapreneur. (n.d.). Dime bag: Meaning, history & cannabis culture. https://ganjapreneur.com/vocab/dime-bag/
Quintanilla, M. (1994, February 16). Street lingo. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-02-16-vw-23538-story.html
Baker, S. (2000, May 21). Chrome-loving celebs like to soup up even the most upscale autos. The new Dub magazine tells us all about it. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2000-may-21-cl-32297-story.html
Neil, D. (2006, December 3). He’s spinning the really big discs. Los Angeles Times. https://www.latimes.com/fashion/alltherage/la-et-125cars3dec03-story.html
Headset. (2026). Oregon cannabis prices and trends. https://www.headset.io/markets/oregon
Headset. (2026). Washington cannabis prices and trends. https://www.headset.io/markets/washington
Headset. (2026). Colorado cannabis prices and trends. https://www.headset.io/markets/colorado
Headset. (2026). Illinois cannabis sales. https://www.headset.io/markets/illinois
Illinois General Assembly. (2026). 410 ILCS 705/10-10: Possession limit. Illinois Compiled Statutes. https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext?DocName=041007050K10-10
Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions: Marijuana and hemp. https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/pages/frequently-asked-questions.aspx
Washington State Legislature. (n.d.). WAC 314-55-095: Cannabis products, packaging, and transaction limits. https://apps.leg.wa.gov/Wac/default.aspx?cite=314-55-095
Illinois General Assembly. (2026). 410 ILCS 705/10-10: Possession limit. Illinois Compiled Statutes. https://ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext?DocName=041007050K10-10
Oregon Liquor and Cannabis Commission. (n.d.). Frequently asked questions: Marijuana and hemp. https://www.oregon.gov/olcc/marijuana/pages/frequently-asked-questions.aspx
Washington State Legislature. (n.d.). WAC 314-55-095: Cannabis products, packaging, and transaction limits. https://apps.leg.wa.gov/Wac/default.aspx?cite=314-55-095
