If you are new to cannabis or are not up to date with latest ganja jargon, you may also be unfamiliar with slang from the pre-legalization days of yore.
Back in those lawless days, terms like “dime bag” were often used by dealers and users alike to describe an affordable bag of weed. While it has since faded off in popularity, some cannabis lovers still use the term and it has almost become a cornerstone in cannabis history, forever a symbol of simpler times.
If you find yourself scratching your head, you’re not alone. Wikileaf is here today to give you all a history lesson and take a closer look at the elusive dime bag.
What Is a Dime Bag?
Just as its namesake suggests, a dime of weed gets its name from the tiny silver US coin that is worth 10 cents. Back in the day, a dime became a code word for a bag of cannabis that cost $10 (see the relation?). At the time, this simply referred to a cost and not a set amount of cannabis.
This meant that the amount could vary slightly from dealer to dealer, but you could usually expect to receive around a singular gram of weed — small enough to be affordable and enough to roll a personal joint.
However, if you have done any shopping in both the legal or illegal cannabis market, you know that $10 in today’s standards is not going to get you very far. As prices continue to climb and legalization sweeps the country, dime bags have essentially become a thing of the past.
How Much Will a Dime Get You Today?
The short answer is not very much: Unlike years of old, you would be hard-pressed to find any weed that costs the low price of an Alexander Hamilton today. On the off chance that you are able to find a dime bag, several factors determine the price of cannabis.
Location
Depending upon where you live, prices of cannabis can vary widely due to supply and demand. In states where cannabis has been legalized, there is often a higher supply which can cause prices to be lower than their illegal counterparts.
If you live in a state where weed is legal, you also have to consider the taxes involved with the final price. In states like California, taxes can be upwards of 30% and vary from city to city. For example, Oakland has a local cannabis excise tax of 10% while San Francisco has none at all. For some, it may be worth the drive to get a little more bang for your buck.
Season
Often referred to as “Croptober”, the vast majority of outdoor growers harvest their green in the early fall. Time your buying right, and you could get yourself an amazing deal on sun-grown weed, like Humboldt Farms. Consider buying in bulk to get the best deal overall and store your weed for a rainy day.
Just be sure to store your weed properly, and your stash will last for those dry days to come.
Quality
Perhaps the biggest difference between the dime bags of yesteryear is the quality of weed: growing weed has become an art for many growers. Many have their own special techniques and have even developed signature genetics that garner a hefty price tag.
Whether cannabis is grown indoors or outdoors can have an influence on both the quality and price of the final product. Brands that use an indoor grow operation are often more expensive than those who choose to go the outdoor route due to production costs like electricity, water, and expensive legal bills to keep up with ever-changing regulations.
Brands known for their superior genetics like Sherbinskis and Alien Labs can charge as much as $80 an eighth. Even if you choose to explore the illicit market, growers pride themselves on a quality product and have no problem charging top dollar. Needless to say, $10 will barely pay for a pinch of the good stuff.
Bottom Line
In their heyday, dimes of weed were a popular way to grab a bit of green for a good deal. Unfortunately, the days of $10 baggies of cannabis are long gone and thus, the term dime bags has faded into the history books.
However, you never know what the future may hold as the cannabis market continues to evolve. We may one day be able to enjoy the simple pleasure of getting a dime bag at your local dispensary — and you’ll be ahead of the curve with this knowledge in hand.