1 Pound = 16 Ounces
There are two main measurement systems; the imperial and metric systems and in the United States, we tend to favor the former. In the metric system, the gram is the base unit. In the imperial system, ounces and pounds are used. When buying cannabis, you tend to concern yourself with grams and ounces, but not pounds. Why?
There are of course 16 ounces in a pound, but a lot of people seem to get the precise measurements completely incorrect. You will often hear someone say that there are 28 grams in an ounce, for example. Since there are 16 ounces in a pound, there must be 448 grams in a pound (28 x 16), right?
WRONG!… Or maybe not.
Following is a list of the official imperial measurement system, and its most popular conversions (memorizing the lists will make jumping around from ounce to pound that much easier if – or when – you need to do it in real life).
How Many Grams in a Pound?
All things considered, most daily marijuana users will know (and have memorized) the following conversions from grams to lb, etc. And if you end up being in the “weed game” for any amount of time, these numbers will become as routine as knowing your social security number or cell phone number:
1 gram = 0.00220461 pounds
1 pound = 453.592 grams
1 ounce = 28.3495 grams
In the world of weed, however, the answer is not quite as straightforward as most dealers (and even some dispensaries) will round off to the nearest tenth. The ‘unofficial’ weed measuring system will look something like this:
An Eighth: 3.5 grams
A Fifth: 5.6 grams
A Quarter: 7 grams
A Half: 14 grams
An Ounce: 28 grams
A Pound: 448 grams
A Good Scale Will Tell You How Many Oz in a Pound… And MUCH More
While it’s great to have a kick-butt “super scale” that could accurately decipher a proper oz in-lb conversion ratio for a massive marijuana transaction, it’s much more realistic to have one that consistently (and accurately) measures grams.
In fact, there’s no getting around the fact of needing a scale that measures in grams. When shopping for a good one, you’ll want to choose a product capable of measuring to at least 0.1 of a gram, if not 0.01. 1/100 of a gram is overkill, but it does help guarantee accuracy.
Secondly, pick a scale with a maximum capacity of at least 200 grams. This equates to around seven ounces. Better yet, scales with a one-kilogram capacity (1,000 grams) can weigh up to 36 ounces or a little over two pounds of weed. For scales with larger maxes, make sure the measuring platform is large.
The majority of scales are battery powered so if you intend on weighing your weed regularly, it might be prudent to choose one that plugs into a wall socket. Given the low cost of scales, there is no need to compromise. You can find a pocket scale with a 1,000-gram capacity with accuracy to within 0.1 grams for under $10 on Amazon!
Although scales come with instructions, you shouldn’t need much guidance. Switch it on by pressing the power button and set the scale to 0.0 by pressing the ‘tare’ or ‘zero’ button. You must always ensure the scale is calibrated before you use it. To be fair, most scales come with calibration weights but this isn’t always the case. When in doubt, place a nickel on the scale. If it doesn’t weigh 5.0 grams, the scale is inaccurate.
Will You Ever Really Need to Know How Many Ounces Are in a Pound?
Consider this: outside of TV or the movies, have you ever really heard of “average” people needing to know how many ozs are in a pound?
And by any standards, most average individuals should probably know (and have memorized) the fact that there is 16 oz in an lb. Knowing your oz per pound conversions is indeed a convenient tool to have, but in all reality, there’s probably not much practical use for it — unless you’re a commercial grower or doing something like operating a dispensary.
