Below is a list of cannabis cultivation metrics and associated information, pros, cons, and use cases.
We are in the process of creating in-depth definitions and calculator templates for each of these.
| Metric | Description | Caveats | UoM | Primary Use Case |
| Grams per Square Foot (g/ft²) | The industry standard for yield discussions; measures raw production efficiency per area. | Highly reliable if “g” and “ft²” are explicitly defined. | g/ft² | Facility benchmarking, internal yield tracking |
| Grams per Plant (g/plant) | Fast and easy metric for gauging individual plant output. | Poor for standardized comparisons across grow styles. | g/plant | Quick internal snapshots, strain-specific evaluations |
| Pounds per Light (lb/light) | The previous standard before g/ft² dominance. | Light coverage varies widely; not reliable for comparisons. | lb/light | Old-school benchmarking, internal grow tracking |
| Grams per Watt (g/W) | Measures lighting efficiency: total yield divided by total wattage. | Only evaluates lighting, not overall production. | g/W | Lighting performance analysis |
| Dry Weight Retention | Ratio of bucked, dried flower weight to total harvested wet weight. | Strain-dependent; not ideal for overall facility evaluation. | % | Harvest efficiency checks, strain evaluation |
| Harvest Index | Ratio of marketable flower to total biological mass. | Similar to Dry Weight Retention but focuses on economic output. | % | Economic yield analysis |
| Trim Yield Percentage | Ratio of trimmed waste material to total dry flower weight. | % | Processing waste analysis | |
| Total Cannabinoid Yield (g) | Total grams of extracted or available cannabinoids per harvest. | g | Extraction potential forecasting | |
| Economic Yield | Dried flower material destined for retail (flower, pre-rolls, kief, grind). Sometimes called FPKG. | g or lb | Sales forecasting, revenue modeling | |
| Effective Canopy Area (ft²) | Actual healthy plant canopy, not just floor space. | ft² | Space utilization analysis | |
| THC Yield per Plant (g) | Grams of THC produced per plant based on potency and dry weight. | g/plant | Potency-adjusted production analysis | |
| THC per Square Foot | Combines yield and potency into one metric tied to value. | g THC/ft² | Value-based yield analysis | |
| Grams per Square Foot per Day (g/ft²/day) | Yield per area per day, factoring in turnaround time. | Best facility efficiency metric if “g” and “ft²” are well defined. | g/ft²/day | True facility throughput tracking |
| Cost per Pound | Total cost to produce one pound of material. | Must define what costs and materials are included. | $/lb | Financial performance analysis |
| Cost-to-Value Ratio | Total production cost divided by total wholesale material value. | % or ratio | Profitability evaluation |