The Complete Guide to Dabbing Cannabis Concentrates

There has always been a stigma attached to dabbing. It once was a desperate move to find something left in a bowl or bong, scraping the bottom of the barrel.

On the other hand, the power and quality of the THC high have been moving to dab to the front burner of user experience. They may influence the canna economy if broadly legalized as recreational use. Still, Newsweek says, “Although dabbing allows a user to get high much quicker than smoking, it may also come with serious health risks.”

The problem is that dabbing refers to so many different forms and techniques that you need a complete guide to dabbing cannabis concentrates.

Dab Defined

In a dab, you touch a cannabis concentrate to a hot surface or vice versa. Then, you inhale the fumes.

A cannabis concentrate is what is left over after all the cannabis plant material has been removed from the marijuana.

Alcohol, Butane, Carbon Dioxide, and Ethanol act are common solvents used to break down the cannabis plant. But, to avoid toxic residues, people increasingly opt for solventless extracts, which are achieved through processes involving rosin, water, ice, or shaking.

Extract forms sell as budder, crumble, honeycomb, kief, oil, shatter, solvent hash, and wax, often named for their appearance.

710 is the cultural tag for dabbing because 710 is OIL upside down.

Dabbing Process

It would help if you had some equipment to dab properly:

• Rigs are glass pipes or bong-like devices made for using hash oil. The rig has a ceramic, glass, quartz, or titanium nail that you torch to a temperature that vaporizes the hash.
• Nailsare heated with a blow torch, and some are now automated.
• Dabs are small quantities of concentrate dropped on the nail.
• Vapors rise in clouds from the heated dab for your inhaling pleasure.

Rigs come in various structures, some more user-friendly than others and some less risky. After all, you are using fire and gases here.

Dabbing results

Dabbing releases the cannabis terpenes, the rich oils secreted by cannabis glands. Terpenes are common to fruits, herbs, spices, and vegetables. Common terpenes have been used throughout history as remedies for assorted medical problems.

1. Alpha Bisabolol reminds you of chamomile and, like chamomile, has treated inflammation and sleeplessness.
2. Alpha Pinene and Beta Pinene smell like pine trees and fight inflammation.
3. Borneol suggests camphor and, as such, serves as an analgesic, anti-insomnia, anti-septic, and asthma bronchodilator.
4. Caryophyllene treats anxiety and depression with its hoppy flavor and aroma.
5. Cineole’s herbal foundation is also anti-inflammatory, antibiotic, and antiviral.
6. Delta 3 Carene vapors smell pine and earth and are used to dry up tears and runny noses.
7. Eucalyptol smells like its name and works at treating coughs.
8. Limonene gives lemons, limes, and other citrus their aromas, and it has been used to treat bronchitis, cancer, and skin conditions.
9. Linalool has cinnamon, flowers, and mint hints and may treat liver cancer.
10. Myrcene flavors musky fruits and offers anti-inflammatory relief.
11. Terpineol releases pine and clove scents, both antioxidants.

But the big prize is the THC-potent hit.

Dabbing emits THC-intensive vapors. That’s good and bad. A .05 gram of 70% THC concentrate yields 30 milligrams of THC. That is the equivalent of several rapidly smoked joints or several edibles consumed at the same time. So, while it may provide the high you are looking for, dabbers often have trouble with moderation.

• It is more accessible than rolling a joint
• Potent and different high
• Fuller taste and aroma
• Fewer hits achieve a much bigger high

Using also promises quicker pain relief for dabbers with medical conditions. However, there is a downside:

• Risk of overdosing. If you can dab and walk away, that’s okay. But dabbing repeatedly over a short period puts you at risk of overdosing. That can produce confusion, panic, paranoia, and passing out.
• Marijuana-induced psychosis. There have been a few cases reported of psychosis developed after heavy dabbing, a condition that required psychiatric care and hospitalization.
• DIY Extraction. Where concentrates remain illegal, many users make their own. The process is not super complicated, but with butane, alcohol, and other flammables in use, accidental explosions offer some risk.
• Withdrawal symptoms. Because of the potency, some repeat users have experienced withdrawal symptoms like depression, headaches, and night sweats.
• Toxic traces. Extracts created with solvents may retain some poisonous chemicals. Where extracts are legal, they are subject to quality control. When a dab sizzles, it may have excess content.

Dabbing is not for new users. Novices do not know enough about the strains or the differences among the concentrates. Under the best conditions and with enough support and guidance, it can provide a unique experience for those who build up to it.

What you can expect

The New York Times warns that federal law enforcement officials say the drug, also known as shatter, budder, and honey, is now on their radar.” And its stereotypical image of a stoner brewing something mean in the basement doesn’t help.

Part of its problem is where it fits into the prospective cannabis marketing of the future. While it can produce immediate health benefits, the dabbing image does not quite fit the medical marijuana marketing profile.