What Is a “Zip” of Weed?
Always remember that weed wasn’t always as mainstream as it is today. As one of the symptoms of being stuck in a counter-culture, weed generated a wide variety of slang terms that might sound silly to our modern cannabis sensibilities.
When it comes to weed, why not just call an ounce an ounce? Why not just call two grams of weed “two grams?” These days, it's normal to react to the slang terms for weed with some degree of annoyance. If you’ve ever wondered exactly how much cannabis someone is referring to when they spout out a seemingly endless sling of obscure slang terms, this guide will clear things up.
Read on to find out exactly what a zip of weed is, and brush up on related cannabis size slang while you’re at it.
What is a zip of cannabis?
A “zip” of cannabis is equal to one ounce. So, whenever you hear someone referring to a zip of weed, they’re talking about one ounce of dried cannabis flower, which is the same as 28 grams.
Neither an enormous nor minuscule amount of weed, a zip is enough to get an average person through a few weeks of smoking. If you break out a zip at a party, however, expect it to entirely disappear over the course of the night.
What does it mean when you buy a zip?
If you just bought a zip of cannabis, that means you’re now in possession of an ounce of weed, which is the same as 28 grams. More abstractly, this means you now have enough cannabis to get extremely high for an extended period of time, or it means you have enough weed to comfortably share with other smokers or even process into a concentrated extract.
Why is it called a “zip?”
Get ready for some old-school cannabis lore: An ounce of weed is sometimes called a zip because that’s about how much cannabis will fit inside a quart ziploc bag. Sure, most dispensary owners back in the day also weighed their weed to make sure they weren’t ripping off patients, but the size and shape of a quart-sized ziploc bag was often used to “eyeball” an ounce prior to measurement.
This outdated slang term reflects the lackadaisical atmosphere that surrounded early medical cannabis communities in California and other West Coast states. Those who contributed to the cannabis economy during those days almost invariably hailed from the black-market drug-dealing community, in which extensive use of slang terms is still popular as a rudimentary method of confusing law enforcement. Also, when you’re really high, sometimes you just feel like making up words.
How many grams are in a zip of cannabis?
A “zip” or an ounce of cannabis contains 28 grams. So, a zip is the equivalent of 14 “dubs,” eight “eighths,” or two “halves.” These days, though, most people simply call an ounce and ounce, and the term “zip” is mainly relegated to the spheres of rap lyrics and black-market drug trafficking.
How much does a zip cost?
A “zip” or an ounce of cannabis can cost anywhere from $100-$300 depending on the grade of weed and the person selling it. If you find a zip in the $100 range, you either got a great deal or you’re buying terrible weed. Ounces over $250 are usually overpriced regardless of the grade, and the fair price range for an average-quality zip of weed sits between $150 and $200.
What does a zip look like?
Visualizing a zip of weed is easy. Just head to the kitchen, grab a quart-sized ziploc bag, and imagine it’s full of cannabis buds. To newbie smokers, a zip of weed can look like an awful lot. If you smoke habitually, though, you’ll see a zip for what it is: Enough weed to get through a couple of weeks before you need to re-up.
What should I do with a zip of weed?
A zip of weed is enough to do a lot of different things. You could roll around 30 joints or 15 blunts with that zip, for instance. Or, you could make it into about 50 bong bowls.
When you have an ounce of cannabis at your disposal, though, you can even start thinking about making it into other things. Simple at-home BHO extraction is one option, though we’d never directly recommend this relatively dangerous process. Making bubble hash is easier and often more rewarding for beginners.
An ounce is also plenty of cannabis to cook with. Combine it all into a batch of super-budder, or break off an eighth at a time to make eight trays of awesome pot brownies.
How much hash can you make from an ounce?
The amount of extract you yield from an ounce of cannabis depends on the method you use and how successfully you use it. Generally speaking, though, you can yield about 20% extract per volume of cannabis flower processed. So, an ounce of weed would yield around 5.5 grams of bubble hash, which is enough to keep you high for the same amount of time as an ounce of flower.
Other important weed sizing terms
Now that you know everything there is to know about zips of weed, let’s make sure you’re up to speed on some other relevant cannabis sizing terms:
What is a dime of weed?
A “dime” of weed is equal to one gram. This term originated because, on a scale, a gram of weed reads as “1.0,” which reminded early dealers of a ten-cent Federal Reserve coin.
How much does a dime cost?
A dime of weed generally costs $10. Keep in mind, though, that most dispensaries no longer sell either dimes or dubs. The eighth has become the gold standard of small cannabis sizes.
What does a dime look like?
Usually, a dime consists of a single smallish cannabis nug. An average dime is the same size as the tip of a grown man’s thumb.
What is a dub of weed?
A “dub” of weed is equal to two grams. This term originates from the fact that a dub is “double” the amount of cannabis in a dime (1g).
How much does a dub cost?
Traditionally, dubs cost $20. The dub has been phased out of modern cannabis culture, though, so it’s rare to find weed offered in this size anymore.
What does a dub look like?
A dub of weed is about enough to comfortably fill the bottom of a snack-sized ziploc bag. Most dubs consist of single large nugs, but it’s also common to see dubs composed of two or three smaller buds.
What is an eighth of weed?
The new standard when it comes to low-priced sizes of weed, an eighth of cannabis consists of 1/8th of an ounce, which is equal to 3.5 grams. If you go to a medical or recreational dispensary these days, the smallest size of cannabis flower you’ll be able to buy is an eighth.
How much does an eighth cost?
Traditionally, eighths cost between $30 and $40. In contemporary dispensaries, however, it’s common to find low-quality eighths priced as low as $10 while high-end eighths can cost as much as $60-$70.
What does an eighth look like?
When you get to an eighth, it finally looks like you have a substantial amount of weed. An eighth will fill the major part of a snack-sized ziploc bag, and it will often consist of 2-3 smaller buds.
What is a half of weed?
A “half” of weed is a half-ounce, which is equal to 14 grams. Not commonly used anymore, this size was often chosen by serious stoners of the past who didn’t want to spring for a full zip.
How much does a half cost?
A half of weed can cost anywhere between $100 and $150 depending on the grade. Unless it’s absolutely amazing weed, though, never pay more than $150 for a half.
What does a half look like?
A half-ounce of weed is enough to fill a quart-sized ziploc bag about halfway up. It usually consists of around 10 separate buds.
What is a QP of weed?
In the cannabis world, “QP” refers to quarter-pound, and it’s more cannabis than an average person would want to buy at a time. A quarter-pound is equal to four ounces or 112 grams.
How much does a QP cost?
Due to their bulk size, QPs generally sell for less than individual ounces. An average QP will sell for $600, and prices range between $500 and $1,000.
What does a QP look like?
A QP of weed is enough to fill a gallon ziploc bag or four quart-sized mason jars. QPs of bud are often moved in jars since that’s where they were cured.
What is a pizzle of weed?
In the weed world, people sometimes call pounds “pizzles.” We’re not sure, but we suspect Snoop Dogg has something to do with the origination of this phrase.
How much does a pizzle cost?
Not that you’ll ever need to know, but a pound of weed usually costs $1,500 to $2,500. Unless you’re selling it illegally, however, that’s way more weed than a person would want to buy at once.
What does a pizzle look like?
Pizzles are too big to fit in ziploc bags. They’re usually moved in garbage bags instead.
