Dabs are a cannabis concentrate that is created by using certain solvents to pull the valuable cannabinoids from the plant. On average, most good quality cannabis flower is going to deliver around 18% THC when smoked, or around 18mg of THC per gram. You will be getting a lot more plant matter than cannabinoids with dried herb. On the contrary, dabs can be much more potent; some dabs can boast between 60 and 90 percent THC by gram. So, literally, a little dab’ll do ya. Take a look at four of the most popular ways to dab.
With a Dab Rig
The general process of dabbing with a rig looks like this:
- Add your concentrate to the wand (remember, just a tiny bit)
- Heat the dab nail with a torch
- Apply your concentrate to the nail using the wand
- Inhale
Dab rigs come in all kinds of shapes and styles, but the general makeup is a rig with a mouthpiece, a nail that you heat, and a dabber tool. You will obviously need a good torch lighter for the heating process.
Pair with an Electric Nail
A lot of concentrate users really don’t like the idea of torching their extract manually. If that happens to be you, you may want to look at pairing your dabs with an electric nail (e-nail). With this nail, you’re connected to a power source, usually electricity but can also be a battery pack. The beauty of e-nails with a dab rig is you can precisely control the level of heat you want. With dab oil, finding the right temperature can mean everything to the end experience.
Add to a Health Stone
Health stones offer a couple of advantages. One, you don’t have to use a dab nail or e-nail at all. Two, you can use a health stone with some of the less dense extracts like dab oil. The health stone is basically just a special type of porous rock that you drop right into your bowl after placing your dab oil the surface. You simply fire the rock with a good torch lighter to vaporize the oil for inhalation.
Try T-Waxing
Just like wax, budder, and other concentrates, you can weave a bit of dabs into your favorite herb and smoke it in your preferred way for T-waxing (sometimes also called Twaxing). Just remember, the dried herb will absorb the dab oil you add, so it’s easy to apply more than what you really need. Add just a drop or two to your weed before rolling it up in a blunt or dropping it in a basic pipe or bong. Of course, cannabis with more oil is going to be harder to burn, so you may have to drag harder when you take a hit.
A Final Note on Dabbing
With strictly cannabinoids, and at high-potency levels, you get a much more intense experience with a concentrate over traditional flower. Dabs are not the best idea for novice cannabis users, but offer excellent advantages for experienced cannabis consumers. If you’ve yet to try dabbing for yourself, call up an experienced friend to guide you through the process. You’ll be dabbing like a pro in no time, and may find a newfound appreciation for alternative ways to enjoy cannabis.
