Honey. Budder. Wax. Shatter. Hash oil. If you’ve heard any of these terms, you know that they refer to concentrates within cannabis circles. These cannabis extracts test up to 90% THC. What you also may have heard is the term dabbing — one of the popular methods of enjoying these concentrates.
No, we aren’t talking about the viral dance move where kids drop their head to their elbow and project their other arm outward. This is an adult activity.
Here’s a brief overview of what dabbing is, and why it’s here to stay.
What is dabbing?
In short, dabbing is vaporizing concentrated cannabis and inhaling it. It is one of the most popular ways to enjoy concentrates and holds serious benefits over the traditional smoking of flower.
The term ‘dab’ refers to taking a small bit of concentrate, placing it on a superheated surface (a nail or bucket) connected to a bong, and then inhaling the vaporized concentrate. Poof, you’re now on cloud nine. You’ve inhaled pure cannabis concentrate. It delivers a strong and immediate relief that many canna-thusiasts have come to enjoy.
Concentrates come in many forms, ranging from gooey ‘wax’ to butter-like ‘budder,’ to glass-like ‘shatter.’ Each has its own name, but they all share a higher-than-average amount of THC. To reach the high temperatures necessary for dabbing, people typically use a blowtorch or an electrical nail, or e-nail.
Dabbing is more effective, healthier, and controllable
Dabbing holds a variety of benefits over the traditional method of smoking cannabis.
Concentrates hold a higher percentage of THC, CBD, and all the other cannabinoids that we’ve come to love. This means the effects are greater, which can be important for medical relief and recreational enjoyment. For urgent medical relief, such as pain or seizures, dabbing can also be the fastest way of delivering the cannabinoids into the bloodstream and to the brain.
Vaporizing concentrate also allows you to control your high. Rather than burning flower, you can set the temperature of the nail to release certain properties from your concentrate. Different temperatures can release desired terpenes for flavor and aroma, or conserve your concentrate for efficiency. Cannabis gurus differ on what temperature best suits their needs.
Lastly, dabbing can be a healthier and safer way to enjoy cannabis. Traditional smoking methods usually involve inhaling plant matter and unwanted toxins, such as carcinogens. If vaporized correctly, inhaling concentrates can be a more pure experience without the unwanted toxins and plant matter.
Dabbing is here to stay
Look no further than our shelves to see the rising popularity of dabbing products. Dabbing is a growing phenomenon within cannabis circles, and for good reason.
Dabbing enables people to enjoy an immediate and strengthened high, all while giving them greater control of the experience. Enjoying concentrates with 90% THC and being able to adjust the temperature of the vaporization for terpene release or efficiency are two things that traditional smoking can’t offer.
However, it is important to note that because of the high THC intake, this method may not be for the faint of heart. Only when you’ve built up a tolerance to traditional flower, should you consider joining the dab club.