You have many options of quantity when it comes to buying your weed, as it comes in a variety of sizes and measurements. Depending on the product(s) you buy, your cannabis could range in quantity from as little as a half gram at a time or up to a zip. The term ‘zip’ may or may not be familiar to you, but what exactly is it?
Is a zip a special product or type of weed that you need to try, or is it another smoking device like a dab rig or vape pen? To put it bluntly, a zip is another name for an ounce of weed. For those still trying to brush up on your weed measurements, we are going to break down the exact measurement of a zip and see how it equates to other quantities you buy.
What is a Zip?
As mentioned above, one ounce of weed is exactly one zip. No one actually knows where or how it got the nickname Zip: the Ziploc theory is the most popular since ounce fits perfectly into the bag, but some say the abbreviation for ounce (oz) gave it the aforementioned name.
Since an ounce (oz) was also called an ‘O’ before the famous name we know and love, the last letter would define the new nickname and ‘zip’ does not have much competition for short, catchy words that start with Z.
Can I eat it?
As curious as you may be, you have probably guessed that answering this is a classic case of “Just because you can doesn’t mean you should”. No truer words can be said for consuming a whole zip of weed, as that is an amount not fit for human consumption.
Let us put it this way: The experts at Healer.com have determined that a normal amount of THC in one day is between 3-15 mg, while a dangerous amount in one day is around 50-100 mg. So, one zip of your typical strain contains 28-56 times the THC of that amount or over 2,000 times beyond the recommended dosage.
You do not have to be a marijuana doctor to know that is too much in a day.
How Much Weed is a Zip?
While the exact measurement comes out to one ounce, there are different quantities you can use to put into perspective how much a zip really is. If you are used to buying your weed in grams or quarters, we use those to quantify how many of these are in a zip.
Grams
In the smallest quantity possible that makes sense, a full zip breaks down into exactly 28.5 grams. You could visualize that as roughly 29 pre rolls, but good luck trying to put that order in for curbside pickup.
A supply like that would easily last you from summer to winter, if not longer, so if you suddenly learned you have to go into quarantine or on the run, and you do not know how long you’ll be gone, it would just make more sense to order larger measurements if you are stockpiling.
Quarters
It would seem like a quarter of weed would add up to 8 grams, but it is actually 7 grams with a small remainder as these four quarters would have to equal 28.5 grams to add up to a zip.
A quarter of a zip, which we now know is a quarter ounce, is a considered an ideal starting amount of weed since you have a lot of breathing room to practice your rolling, can easily store away in any drawer or cabinet and is the perfect amount to roll a blunt or two as well as a couple joints to have your next few smoke sessions prepped and ready to go.
Eights
As you might have guessed, a zip broken down into eights would be double in quantity than its quarter counterparts. The eights that you buy at the dispensary come out to exactly 3.5 grams each, so eight of these equate to an ounce or a zip (28.5 grams).
While it is not impossible to buy an ounce broken down, it is just much more efficient to buy in denominations of quarter or half ounces if you are not planning to buy the whole zip at once. You would have to buy eight containers and to store them individually at home, so bigger quantities just work better for ease of storage and packaging.
Do Dispensaries sell by the Zip?
The answer to if dispensaries sell by the zip is interesting but also a bit complicated. To clarify, any dispensary could technically sell more than a zip if their respective state’s possession laws would allow it. But if they do not, having one zip in your possession is generally the maximum, so it is the same for dispensaries to sell to you at one time.
Granted, some states can sell more than a zip to qualifying medical patients (card in hand), but these are typically places that have a zip as the recreational max, or no recreational sales at all.
Costs of a Zip
If a dispensary outside of Nevada can sell you weed by the zip, the 28.5 grams could run the risk of breaking possession laws (depending on where you live) and cost quite a bit of money. For a strain like Lemon Cake that sells for about $35 an eighth, 8 of those to equal a zip would be about $275. The fact that the example is a relatively inexpensive strain should let you know how expensive the zip of it would be.
Just imagine you wanted to buy the zip equivalent of your infused strain (which would be $25 per gram). Multiply that 28.5 times and you get a hefty price tag of $712.50 before tax. Better look for a deal! You are more than welcome to buy your zips so long as it falls within your state’s legal limit, just consume responsibly and do not overindulge.
