1g vs 5g vs a joint: what a gram really costs
Ever seen a pack price turned into “€ per gram” and thought, wait, is that what I pay for one gram? Not necessarily. The division is useful arithmetic; the pack is still the offer.
What a price on a menu means
A menu line is a product name, a price, a format and a date. That is all the archive stores. Nothing is estimated, and no field is filled in when the menu does not print it.
The format is the part most people read past. A menu can sell the same product as a single gram, as a multi-gram pack, or as a piece. Those three lines answer three different questions.
Two units, and they stay apart
One rule carries this whole page: weed, hash and extracts get compared per gram; joints, edibles and extras get compared per piece. The two lanes never merge. A per-piece price never sneaks into a per-gram median, and a per-gram price never lands in a per-piece ranking.
A joint has no printed weight, so its price stays a unit price. A gram has a printed weight, so its price can be normalised.
How a per-gram price is calculated
Only when the menu prints the weight. The price is divided by the number of grams printed on that line, and the quotient is stored as the per-gram value of that record. The original total is never overwritten; both are kept.
If the menu prints no weight, the line stays a unit price. It is still stored, still dated, still searchable. It just never becomes a per-gram figure, because there is nothing to divide.
The calculation is intentionally narrow: total price divided by printed grams. It does not adjust for quality, origin, potency, freshness or a bundle’s contents. For a line labelled 5g, divide that line’s total by its stated weight, then label the result as the rate within that pack. The calculation does not establish an equivalent offer of separate loose grams. Keep the original pack total visible so a reader can see the amount due as well as the calculated rate.
How each format is compared
| Menu line | Stored as | Compared against |
|---|---|---|
| A 1 g line | price per gram | other 1 g lines of the same product and variant |
| A multi-gram pack | pack total plus its per-gram value | packs of the same format, never against a single gram |
| A joint | price per joint | other joints |
| An edible or an extra | price per piece | other pieces of the same category |
| A line with no printed weight | price per piece | other pieces of the same category |
On a product page the formats are shown as separate lists, one per format, each with its own shops and its own menu dates. That is why a product page can show two different prices for the same strain without one of them being wrong. They are different formats.
Why packs are not folded into the gram column
The temptation is to divide a pack price by its weight and drop it into the same column as the single grams. The archive does compute that value, but it keeps the pack in the pack block, so the reading order of the tables stays honest.
To compare arithmetic, compare the pack’s per-gram rate with the single-gram rate. Alternatively, compare the pack total with the single-gram price multiplied by the pack’s printed weight. Do not compare a per-gram rate with a total: they use different units. Neither calculation proves the offers contain identical products or that the pack is discounted.
Bundles and “Treat” lines
Some menus list a bundle under its own product name, sometimes with “Treat” in it. A bundle line and a single-gram line are two different offers, even when the bundle prints a weight. Dividing the bundle price by that weight produces a number, but that number does not describe the price of a gram of the same product sold on its own.
So bundle lines keep their own format group. They are read next to the plain single gram, not merged with it.
What the price table actually compares
The price tables compare one format against the same format and one variant against the same variant. A Cali gram is never placed against a Dutch gram. A joint is never placed against a gram. A pack total is never placed in the single-gram column.
Medians are computed on fresh menus only, and the range is printed next to the median so a single number never travels without its context.
Where the live numbers are
That’s the method - dated records, not live quotes. When you want the numbers in the wild, the cheapest entries compare per format, the method page shows where the source material comes from, and the menu-date guide keeps a recent observation apart from historical context.
When saving a comparison, include the original total and the printed weight together. A screenshot of the calculated rate alone can conceal the amount needed to obtain that rate. At the counter, ask about the whole offer rather than requesting a different quantity at a rate derived from the pack. The calculation explains the menu; it does not rewrite the offer.
A quick comparison checklist
Before comparing two lines, ask four questions: are they in the same category; do they use the same unit; do they carry the same variant; and are their menu dates similarly current? Only then is the price difference informative. A per-gram quotient can help compare pack arithmetic, but the pack must remain in its own block. A joint remains a per-piece item because the menu gives no weight to divide.
This site records dated menu statements, not live prices or stock. The counter price is the one that counts. It is 18+ information only, no sales; verify on site.
Keep the arithmetic attached to its format
Suppose a menu prints a 5g pack for €70. Dividing the printed total by the printed weight gives €14 per gram as arithmetic; it does not mean the shop offers a loose gram for €14. The amount due remains €70 for that pack, and the archive should continue to show the pack in its own format. This distinction matters when a comparison page displays per-gram rates: the common unit helps describe the arithmetic, but it does not erase the minimum quantity a customer would have to buy. For a fair comparison, match category and pack size where possible, then read both source dates. If the menu gives no weight at all, do not calculate a per-gram rate. The price overview keeps units visible for precisely this reason.
❓ FAQ
How much does a gram cost in Amsterdam?
Use the dated price tables for the relevant category and format. Read the median, range and sample counts together rather than treating one observed line as the city price.
Is 5g cheaper than 1g?
Not necessarily. Divide the pack total by its printed weight to obtain its per-gram rate. Compare rates with rates, and keep the pack offer separate from the loose-gram offer.
Is a joint cheaper than a gram?
No comparison is possible. Joints and extras are sold per piece, and the archive keeps them as unit prices. A per-piece price never enters a per-gram median.
How do I calculate the per-gram cost of a pack?
Divide the printed pack total by its printed weight in grams. Keep the result labelled as a pack rate, with the original total beside it; it is not a loose-gram offer.
Can I compare an edible with a joint by price?
Not directly. Both are per-piece listings, but they are different categories and should not be treated as equivalent products.