Nail Your Edible Dosing with Kitchen-Scale Precision
Understanding how many grams in an ounce is the first step to perfectly dosed homemade cannabis edibles
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You’re standing in your Adams Morgan kitchen at 10 PM, a stick of butter melting on the stove and a bag of flower on the counter, and you realize you have no idea how many grams in an ounce β let alone how to turn that number into a brownie that won’t send you to the moon or leave you feeling nothing at all.
Here’s the thing nobody tells you when you start making edibles at home: knowing how many grams in an ounce (it’s 28.3495, but we round to 28 because life’s too short) isn’t just trivia β it’s the foundation of every dosing calculation you’ll ever do. Get this number wrong and your entire batch is off. We’ve seen patients accidentally double their intended dose because they eyeballed a measurement, and we’ve seen others waste perfectly good flower because their math was shaky. The seven measurements we’re breaking down in this guide will give you the confidence to bake with real precision, whether you’re making cannabutter for the first time or you’re a seasoned kitchen alchemist tweaking your ratios.
At Green Legacy, we talk to DC medical cannabis patients every single day who want to make their own edibles but feel overwhelmed by the math. And honestly? We get it. The jump from buying a pre-made gummy to calculating milligrams per serving from raw flower feels enormous. That’s exactly why we put together this guide β and why we always recommend checking the THC percentage on your flower’s Certificate of Analysis before you start cooking. Your COA is basically the nutritional label for your cannabis, and skipping it is like baking a cake without knowing if you grabbed sugar or salt.
I’ll never forget the patient from Dupont Circle who came in holding a crumpled napkin with math scribbled all over it β she’d been trying to figure out how to dose a batch of cookies for her chronic pain and ended up more stressed than when she started. We sat down together, walked through the conversions, and twenty minutes later she had a formula she could actually use. She texted us a photo of her finished cookies the next weekend (they looked incredible, by the way). That moment pretty much sums up why we wrote this post. The math isn’t hard once somebody explains it like a human being.
“If you don’t know how many grams you’re working with, you don’t know how many milligrams you’re eating β and guessing is not a dosing strategy.”
— Green Legacy
MEASUREMENT ESSENTIALS
Know How Many Grams in an Ounce β and Beyond
28 Grams Equals One Ounce
This is your anchor number. One ounce of cannabis flower equals roughly 28 grams, and every edible recipe scales from here. Write it on a sticky note and put it on your fridge β seriously.
Calculate Total THC Milligrams
Multiply your flower’s weight in grams by its THC percentage (from the COA), then multiply by 1,000. So 7 grams of 20% THC flower gives you 1,400mg of total THC. That’s your starting budget for the whole batch.
Account for Decarb and Extraction Loss
You won’t extract 100% of that THC β realistically, home cannabutter methods pull about 60-80%. Multiply your total milligrams by 0.7 as a safe middle estimate. Better to be pleasantly surprised than unpleasantly floored.
Divide by Servings Religiously
Take your estimated extracted milligrams and divide by the number of servings in your recipe. DC medical patients often start around 5-10mg per serving, which is a smart baseline. If your batch math says 50mg per cookie, you’ve got some rethinking to do.
Use a Digital Scale Always
Eyeballing cannabis measurements is how dosing disasters happen. A basic kitchen scale that reads to 0.1 grams costs about fifteen bucks and will change your entire edible game. Volume measurements (teaspoons, cups) don’t work for flower β weight is everything.
See What’s Fresh
Need flower with a verified THC percentage for your next bake? Check Green Legacy’s current menu β every product comes with lab-tested potency data so your math actually works.
Top Flower Picks for Edible Baking in DC
THC percentages shift batch to batch β always verify potency in our COA library before you start your dosing math.
Come Say Hey
Green Legacy sits right in the heart of DC. Whether you’re swinging by after work or making a special trip, we’re here to make it easy β and worth it. Pop in, say hey, and let us help you find exactly what you’re looking for.
4630 14th St NW, Washington, DC
Available across DC β check delivery zones
greenlegacydc.com
4630 14th St NW
Washington, DC
Frequently Asked Questions
Your Questions About How Many Grams in an Ounce β Answered
So how many grams in an ounce of cannabis, exactly?
There are 28.3495 grams in an ounce, though the cannabis industry universally rounds down to 28 grams. This is the number you’ll use for every edible dosing calculation. If your recipe calls for a quarter ounce, that’s 7 grams; an eighth is 3.5 grams. For a deeper dive into weed measurements, Leafly’s measurement guides are a solid resource.
How do I figure out the right edible dose as a DC medical cannabis patient?
Start by checking your flower’s THC percentage on the lab report (COA), then multiply grams Γ THC% Γ 1,000 to get total milligrams. Factor in about 70% extraction efficiency for homemade cannabutter, then divide by your number of servings. The DC Medical Cannabis Program recommends discussing dosing with your certifying physician, and we agree β especially if you’re new to edibles.
How do I make cannabutter at home with the right potency?
Decarb your flower at 240Β°F for about 40 minutes, then simmer it in butter (one stick per 3.5-7 grams, depending on desired strength) on low heat for 2-3 hours. Strain through cheesecloth and refrigerate. The key is knowing your input weight and THC percentage so you can calculate milligrams per tablespoon of finished butter. Don’t skip the decarb β without it, your edibles will taste like grass and do almost nothing.
Can I buy edibles directly from a DC dispensary instead of baking?
Absolutely. If math isn’t your thing (no judgment), licensed DC dispensaries carry pre-dosed edibles with precise milligram labeling. Browse Green Legacy’s edible selection for options that take all the guesswork out. Every product’s been lab-tested and clearly labeled, so you know exactly what you’re getting per piece.
What equipment do I actually need for baking cannabis edibles at home?
At minimum: a digital kitchen scale (accurate to 0.1g), an oven thermometer (home ovens lie about temperature constantly), cheesecloth for straining, and a basic calculator. A double boiler setup helps prevent scorching your butter. Everything else β silicone molds, infusion machines, fancy gadgets β is nice to have but totally optional. Consistent, accurate edibles come from good math, not expensive equipment.