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There is a lot of weed jargon, making getting into the cannabis community a little tricky. Fortunately, as the stigma around weed slowly fades, learning about this extraordinary herb and community has become much easier.
Today, we look at a “zip” of weed: what it is, where the name came from, how much it weighs, and how many joints you can make. When you finish this article, you’ll have the vocabulary and understanding to chat with even the biggest cannabis enthusiast comfortably.
A zip is a unit of measurement for weed. One zip is equal to one ounce of weed.
Today, a zip of weed is the largest amount you can buy in one go unless it’s being bought illegally.
“Zip” was a slang term used by dealers and buyers in the United States.
When weed was still illegal, asking for an ounce of marijuana was risky. Instead, people would ask for a zip of weed. The “zip” refers to Ziploc bags because one ounce of weed can comfortably fill one.
It was also the chosen bag for most dispensaries. It helps keep weed fresh by locking out moisture and has the added benefit of hiding the smell of weed.
What started as a funny informal term has joined the official marijuana lexicon. Today, almost every dispensary in the USA will know what you mean when you ask for a zip of weed.
Because a zip of weed originated in the United States, it uses the Imperial measurement system. In the US, a zip is one ounce of weed.
Let’s break it down. There are sixteen ounces in a pound, so one ounce is 1/16th of a pound. One zip of weed weighs 1/16th of a pound.
If we convert that to grams for a more universal measurement, a zip of weed weighs 28.3 grams.
As mentioned above, a zip of weed contains one ounce or 28.3 grams. If you know anything about weed, then you know that 28.3 grams of weed is a lot (and we meet a lot) of weed, both in volume and power.
For volume, there is no perfect measurement system. Some weed has dense buds that are heavier and smaller. Some are super light and spread out, meaning 28.3 grams of weed could have double the volume of a denser strain.
On average, a zip of weed buds fills a one-gallon freezer bag. If you think about how big those bags are, you start to get a picture of just how much weed there is in a zip.
There is no one measurement for how much weed goes in a joint. Some long-term smokers with a healthy appetite roll joints that weigh close to 1 gram. Others prefer a thinner option, closer to 0.3 grams.
To keep the math simple and to leave some room for error, let’s imagine you roll joints that weigh 0.5 grams. It’s enough to offer a nice, average-sized roll while conserving your supply.
If you are rolling 0.5-gram joints and have a zip of weed, you can roll a whole lot of joints–56 to be precise.
We’ve established that a zip of weed is a lot of weed and that you’ll get a lot of joints out of one bag. But how long could the supply last? Let’s do some math.
You could be a light smoker in two ways. One, you smoke only every other day. Two, you roll smaller joints for a more mellow high.
If you’re smoking every other day at a 0.5-gram joint average, you can comfortably make it through two months with one zip of weed. There will likely be some left over.
If you smoke smaller joints, say 0.3 grams per joint, one zip will feed 93 joints. Even if you smoke three times a day, a zip lasts a month.
And, just for fun, let’s consider that you’re both an infrequent smoker and a small joint roller. Then, a zip of weed could last you several months.
Similar to the light smoker, there are two types of moderate smokers. One, people who smoke a joint, or maybe two, a day. And two, people who roll bigger joints for a more intense high.
For people smoking once a day, a zip of weed can last almost two months. A zip could last nearly a month if you smoke twice a day.
If you’re rolling heavier joints, say 0.7 grams, a zip of weed will produce around 40 joints. For a moderate smoker, that should last a month, maybe a little more.
Many dispensaries today still sell zip weed in Ziploc bags. It’s become a signature. While it might not fill the bag to burst, it should take up a sizable portion of the one-gallon bag’s interior.
If you don’t have a one-gallon bag to compare it to, then compare it to a coconut. The average zip of weed should have enough volume to match the size of a coconut.
That said, we’d recommend always having your weed weighed out. Density and volume can have a significant effect on the weight and size of cannabis, which makes eyeballing different strains difficult. It’s not reliable.
For consistent supply and to ensure you get your money’s worth, make sure your local dispensary measures the zip of weed and that it hits the 28-gram mark.
In 1996, California became the first state to legalize the use of medical marijuana. Soon after, other states started following suit. However, this was only for medical marijuana. Recreational use was still illegal for close to two decades and is, to this day, still highly stigmatized.
Today, there are 23 states where recreational marijuana use is legal. But the original names for weed remain.
When weed was illegal, dealers and buyers had to be careful with their words. Names like Zip and Eighth came about as insider jargon that only people in the weed community would know – jargon that wouldn’t get them in trouble.
And when the authorities started to understand the lingo, dealers would change the names again.
Some of these names have stuck and are now the names most people use, even in legitimate business, to refer to weed quantities.
Besides zip, we also have terms like:
A zip of weed is expensive. It’s a lot of weed, so if we compare the cost of one joint with the amount you get from 28 grams of marijuana, the price makes sense. For many, buying a zip of weed is expensive, but it works out cheaper in the long run.
If you are presented with the opportunity to buy a zip of weed for a comically low price, it’s likely too good to be true. Any company harvesting quality flowers won’t be able to charge little for 28 grams of cannabis.
If you don’t have the cash to buy a zip of weed in one go, don’t fall for too-good-to-be-true prices. Instead, choose quality over quantity and purchase smaller amounts that you can afford but also guarantee the quality of the product.
While marijuana is safe to use, moderation should always be kept in mind – especially if you have 28 grams of weed around.
Overdosing is very rare but can happen if you over consume weed. If you are buying a zip of weed, remember that it is not meant to be smoked over a few days (unless you are hosting a big party with many experienced smokers).
Smoking too much cannabis alone can lead to headaches, dizziness, anxiety, hallucinations, racing heart rate, and more. There is no standard amount for overconsumption. Individual biology and tolerance vary too greatly.
But be aware of your limits and listen to your body. Marijuana can be great, and overconsumption is a difficult state to reach. That doesn’t mean we should be careless.
A zip is an ounce or 28 grams of weed. The name originated because dealers often used one-gallon Ziploc bags to keep big weed supplies fresh.
Today, a zip of weed is a great way to stock up on marijuana. One zip can easily keep you well-stocked for a month, more if you’re a lighter smoker.
To get your high-quality zip of weed, visit Embarc today. We offer various cannabis, culture, and community at unrivaled prices.
