Dry weight

Dry weight (DW) is the mass of inflorescence after drying to a stable moisture content — conventionally 10–15% for commercial cannabis, or ~0% (oven-dry) for laboratory reporting — and typically represents 20–25% of wet weight for flower (Rodriguez-Morrison et al. 2021). Dry weight is the industry-standard yield metric, universally reported as g·m⁻² (per canopy area), g·W⁻¹ (per watt of lighting electricity, a common indoor efficiency figure), or g·plant⁻¹. Rodriguez-Morrison et al. (2021) reported dry inflorescence yields of 116–519 g·m⁻² as canopy PPFD rose from 120 to 1,800 μmol·m⁻²·s⁻¹, and Backer et al. (2019, Frontiers in Plant Science 10:495, "Closing the yield gap for cannabis: a meta-analysis of factors determining cannabis yield") synthesized the literature range at ≈0.31–1.97 g·W⁻¹. Cannabinoid and terpene concentrations are likewise reported on a dry-weight basis (mg·g⁻¹ DW or % w/w DW) to normalize across moisture states. Etymology: descriptive horticultural usage. Synonyms/slang: DW, oven-dry weight (ODW), cured weight (informal). → See also: Wet weight, Yield, Pound (Industry), Harvest.