What is dabbing?

New to dabbing? Discover how to dab, why to dab, and what to dab.

Dabbing is one of the latest ways to smoke marijuana. Remember when heating a knife on a stove, putting cannabis oil on it, and breathing it in through a two-liter bottle with the bottom cut-off was considered high-tech? Dabbing is a knife-hits cool older brother who went to college and works in Silicon Valley now. Why are people making the switch? A dab is the single most effective way to consume a large amount of THC in a single breath.

Because dabbing uses such a concentrated base, there is very little waste. This makes it one of the most cost-effective ways to consume marijuana, which is a big reason it’s taken off with the cannabis community.

How does a dab work?

1. Heat up a “nail” typically made of titanium or ceramic.
2. Put shatter, wax, crumble or another concentrate onto your nail.
3. The material is vaporized and you inhale it through a bong or dab specific device.

What do you need to dab?

Dabbing requires a rig. You have two options, an eletronic dab unit and an old fashioned dabbing rig.

1. Electronic dab rig: These are the safest available option because you don’t have to use a torch to heat up the nail. Everything is completely electronic, and there are portable units like the one at the right that run off of batteries.
• These are great. You can put your concentrate onto the nail before you heat it up. With everything already enclosed, you don’t have a hot nail in a position where it can be accidentally touched or brushed with a hand.
2. Mechanical dab rig: These are much cheaper, but more dangerous. You can buy a dab attachement for a bong or water pipe that sits where a bowl normally would. These nails are heated up using a mini-torch and you put your concentrate onto the nail after it is heated, taking a hit at the same time. It’s a more complicated process and definitely leaves you open to serious injury.

Why dabbing?

Dabbing is extremely cost-effective and provides a more potent hit than other smokables. Concentrates can be purchased for as little as $10 a gram including wax and shatter. With the same THC concentration as an oil, wax and shatter allow you to use all of the product because there isn’t any cartridge for it to get stuck inside of.

Wax and shatter also have a stronger flavor, and typically, more terpenes than concentrates. If you had both products side by side, made from the same strain, you’d taste the original strain much more from a hit using a dab device than a concentrate pen. That’s another major draw for people who don’t like to smoke flower but still want to taste the cannabis strain.

What should you dab?

Find out the difference between wax, shatter, and crumble so you can find the right product for your dabbing needs. The primary difference between finished cannabis products is the amount of moisture and terpenes in the final product. This will affect how you’ll want to set your dab rig heat settings.