As more and more people seek out new ways of using cannabis, concentrates are rapidly growing in popularity. They’re called dabs in industry parlance, and they can deliver a more powerful result than traditional smoking or even vaping. Here’s a primer on the common types of cannabis concentrates, how they are used, and the potential benefits of dabbing.
What is Dabbing?
Dabbing is the process of heating a cannabis concentrate to an extremely hot temperature and inhaling the resulting smoke or vapor. It delivers a dose of cannabinoids that is faster-acting and stronger than any other method of cannabis use. How much stronger? Consider that concentrates can contain up to 80% cannabinoids, whereas a flower generally contains 5% to 25%, depending on the strain.
If smoking buds doesn’t achieve the result you desire, dabbing can offer far higher levels of THC or CBD. It’s well-suited to people who use cannabis for medical purposes or otherwise require an intense, long-lasting effect. Moreover, concentrates are almost odourless and therefore easier to discreetly take on the go.
How Do You Dab?
Rigs, nails, dab pens, blow torches—dabbing can sound like a big to-do. In fact, it’s not any more complicated than rolling a joint or packing a pipe. Let’s break down the essential tools.
Dab Rigs and Nails
Made of glass and resembling a water pipe, a classic dab rig can be used to smoke any kind of cannabis concentrate. Instead of a bowl, dab rigs have a nail, usually made of titanium, quartz, or ceramic. You heat the nail to a high temperature—150-300 C or hotter—with a blowtorch. Once the nail is hot enough, you “dab” your concentrate onto the nail head with a special dabbing tool. The resulting vapour or smoke passes through a water chamber and into a mouthpiece to be inhaled.
E-Nails
The most difficult part of learning how to dab is heating the concentrate to the perfect temperature, which can be tricky to achieve with a blowtorch. An e-nail can take the guesswork out of heating your dabs: you plug it in and set it to the desired temperature. Once the nail is hot enough, you can dab an unlimited number of times. However, e-nails are expensive as well as somewhat dangerous, as they remain hot for a long time.
Dab Pens
Essentially e-cigarettes for dabbing, these nifty devices are portable, low-fuss alternatives to a rig. They generally come in two types: oil pens, which contain either disposable or refillable cartridges (such as High Voltage vape cartridges), or wax pens, which can handle solid concentrates like wax or shatter (such as High Voltage Live Resin). You can also construct your own dab pens with interchangeable parts and simply switch out the heating chamber or atomizer to accommodate whatever kind of dabs you have on hand.
Dabbing Dosage
The amount of concentrate you should take depends largely on your prior experience with cannabis. New users should take caution to “start low and go slow” with concentrates, but even regular bud smokers may be surprised at the potency that concentrates offer. Extracts from reputable sources will usually include a recommended starting dosage.
How Are Dabs Made?
Cannabis extracts are created by running a solvent through the buds of the plant to extract its cannabinoids. The solvent is then evaporated. What remains can be re-filtered, cooled, or whipped into the desired concentrate form.
There are two widely used solvents for extractions: butane and carbon dioxide. While butane has long been the solvent of choice, carbon dioxide has recently gained popularity. CO2 is considered safer because it’s non-combustible and evaporates completely, leaving the extract essentially solvent-free. Butane extraction, however, is less harsh on the plant and produces a more flavourful and potent result.
Types of Cannabis Concentrates
Dabs range in consistency from oils to hardened shatter; the texture of the final product depends on how the initial extract is treated. As one might expect, concentrates that are more refined and denser contain higher amounts of cannabinoids and can produce longer, more intense highs. You can also dab hash, but it will gum up your rig – you can buy hash online from Budmail.
BHO & Other Oils
Cannabis oils (also called butane hash oil, or BHO when extracted with butane) is the least potent of extracts but also the friendliest for entry-level dabbers. High-quality hash oils can contain not just THC or CBD but also the terpenes that give cannabis its distinctive scents and flavours. Oil often comes pre-packaged in cartridges to be easily used in a vape pen.
BHOs should only be used with a dab rig, as orally ingesting residual butane in the form of edibles or sublingual drops is potentially harmful. Cannabis oils that were extracted with CO2, however, are safe to cook into edibles or take sublingually.
Shatter
Shatter is the most potent cannabis concentrate. It’s created by filtering an initial extract to get rid of naturally occurring waxes and fats. What remains is a gold-coloured resin. The resin is cooled into a glass-like sheet. The concentrate produces a high that is intense and long-lasting. However, it can be tricky to work with as it lives up to its name and breaks easily.
Waxes
Waxes are created pretty much the same way shatter is, except that the extract is whipped into a waxy consistency instead of being allowed to cool in an undisturbed state. There are two types of waxes commonly available:
- Budder: This creamy wax is named for its butter-like consistency. Budder is less potent than shatter at around 70% cannabinoid content but offers a stronger scent and flavour. It contains a relatively high amount of oil and can be gooey or runny.
- Crumble: The use of lower heat and longer vacuum times during the extraction process results in crumble, a concentrate with a honeycomb-like texture. The gentler extraction method preserves more of the plant’s terpenes. It provides roughly the same cannabinoid content as budder but given it’s more time-consuming to make, it’s often pricier and harder to find.
Dabbing CBD
CBD extracts have quickly become a popular way to use cannabis. And for good reason: CBD can calm and relax your body with none of the jitters associated with THC. Not to mention, it boasts a slew of medicinal benefits.
However, CBD oils ingested orally have low bioavailability, meaning that your body can only process a certain percentage of the molecules. But when you dab CBD, the molecules are absorbed directly into the bloodstream at a higher rate, making it the fastest and most potent method of delivering CBD to your system.
Side Effects To Smoking Dabs
Since dabs are so concentrated, it’s important to start with low doses. People unaccustomed to rapidly ingesting large amounts of cannabinoids may experience unpleasant side effects such as paranoia and nausea. Consult with your budtender or an experienced dabber before you give concentrates a try. That being said, dabbing effects on the brain are no different than other methods of using cannabis: you’re inhaling the same cannabinoids and terpenes.
Why Does Dabbing Get A Bad Rep From The Media?
In short, it’s not dabbing itself that’s dangerous—it’s shoddy extraction methods. Extractions should only be performed by professionals; DIY extractions with highly explosive butane simply aren’t worth the risk. DIY extractions can also result in low-quality concentrates. Be sure to source your waxes and oils from reputable, licensed vendors. Their products have been rigorously tested for foreign contaminants and residual solvents so you can dab worry-free.
