Cannabis Dabbing: Is it Good or Bad?

When it comes to the consumption of various cannabis mixtures and concentrates available in the online cannabis market today, one of the popular methods of doing so is called dabbing or cannabis, if you want to be technical.

Dabbing should never be confused with the popular dance move, as that has been one of the crazes in the dancing world due to its simplicity of raising their arms in a straight, angled direction. While their head has been dropped down from 2010 up to the late 2017s, cannabis dabbing is a cannabis consumption method that is usually used for both medical and recreational cannabis needs. It might be trendy right now among most of the cannabis-consuming public, however, it has its dark past when it comes to the history of its usage, therefore giving it a bad rap to new and old users alike.

But what precisely is cannabis dabbing, and how is it done? Today, we will look into how consumers can use this consumption method on their next cannabis session. The types of cannabis concentrates available to consumers that they can buy and consume on their end are called dabs. We will discuss the proper use of dabbing, and its benefits as a consumption method for cannabis dabs.

Cannabis Dabbing - What and How is it Made?

Most people may not know, but cannabis dabbing is as simple as heating cannabis concentrates on a dedicated tool used for cannabis dabbing. Once heated, the cannabis concentrate will melt and produce a smoke-like result, in which the user will inhale through the device’s inhaling tool part, usually called a dab rig. Dabs are the term used for the concentrates being used for this consuming tool.

As mentioned earlier, dabs are a known form of cannabis concentrate, which are the semi-solid, jelly-like extracts of a cannabis plant extracted during the harvesting season, usually composed of the main compounds found on a plant.

To create a dab concentrate from a plant extract, the usual method for this process usually involves the usage of solvents for the extraction process. The commonly used solution for this is carbon dioxide or butane, wherein it separates a material called trichomes from a plant. The said material is like the plant’s hair, wherein it contains a high amount of both cannabinoids and terpenes, essential compounds for getting high from cannabis concentrates and mixtures.

Trichomes can usually be found as hair-like material on the plant’s whole body, generally on the surfaces of the stems, leaves, and buds of the cannabis plant itself. They are small, frosty particles in appearance. Thanks to this extraction process, a cannabinoid called Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) will then be produced, which is the stuff that provides the “high” on cannabis-related products, concentrates, and mixtures. Of course, the higher the THC amount, the higher “high” a consumer will get (no pun intended). Another cannabinoid usually extracted along with THC is called Cannabidiol (CBD), which is THC’s counterpart since it doesn’t provide the “high” as THC does.

Now, most concentrates sold in the market today (and some in the black market and illegal trade) are usually made with either carbon dioxide or butane as the solvent. Still, most of them are formed by the latter, and concentrates made from butane are often called BHO (Butane Hash Oil) by the public.

Cannabis Dab Types - What is Currently Available?

As for the available cannabis dabs one can buy in the current market today, many choose from that most consumers will enjoy on their end. Listed below are some known cannabis dab types one can purchase from most online cannabis dispensaries and brick-and-mortar stores that sell cannabis in their location:

1. Butane Hash Oil (BHO)

We have mentioned earlier that this type of cannabis dab is the most common dab type found in most online cannabis dispensaries and cannabis stores. It is usually extracted from a process wherein the cannabis flower is blasted with butane inside a sealed container with a small opening on the top for the butane.

After that, the result of that process will be a liquid that will be then extracted and purged of butane as much as possible, and the end product would be the said cannabis dab. It is usually colored in transparent gold color, in which that color is due to the high concentrates of THC and other cannabinoids that have been mixed during the said process. Once done, it will then be sold into different smaller variants, namely Shatter, Wax, Live Resin, Ice Water Hash (Bubble Hash), Rosin, and CO2 Oil, respectively, which are listed afterward.

2. Shatter

BHO’s first variant is a distinct variant of BHO thanks to its glass-like texture that, like real glass, is fragile and easily breaks from moderate pressure or drops from a considerable height namesake.

A common misconception for this variant is that most people think of this variant as the purest and cleanest dab on the list of available cannabis dabs today. Still, the truth is that it isn’t at all and is only the side effect of its manufacturing process from intense vacuuming to remove butane from it.

3. Wax

This type of BHO variant is known for its sticky, wax-like nature; hence it is called that. Unlike the previous option above, this is not transparent, thanks to its mentioned nature of being a wax-like substance. Instead, it has a creamy, white color similar to honey or beeswax when they start to crystallize.

The leading cause of this difference from Shatter is due to the manufacturing process it has undergone: continuous whipping during a process called purging. Depending on the constant beating’s strength and consistency, sub-variants can be produced from this, such as Crumble, Honeycomb, and Budder, to name a few.

4. Live Resin

One of BHO’s newest variant forms is that it uses fresh cannabis flowers instead (that has been flash-frozen immediately after being harvested) during its manufacturing process. The said process is kept in shallow, extreme temperature for consistency during manufacturing.

Thanks to that unique manufacturing process, it results in an extremely potent extract with very high concentrations of terpenes. It gives off a unique flavor and aroma as a side result.

5. Ice Water Hash (Bubble Hash)

This variant is made using a unique process called ice water extraction, hence its name. The primary materials for removal are usually frozen during trimming while being covered with ice water during the duration of the manufacturing process. The primary purpose is to remove many trichomes as possible during the process, resulting in creating this variant.

After that, most of the trimmings and the bud itself are then removed from the mixture as a result of the manufacturing process, which is then placed through several filters to remove any particles from the plant itself. Once done, it is then immediately dried up and processed in a block-like shape via hand for sale and consumption and is one of the dabs one can easily make in their home, preferably in their free time.

6. Rosin

Thanks to the ease of manufacture, this is one of the dabs aside from Ice Water Hash that can be processed at home, making it very popular amongst cannabis dab users. It is manufactured via extracting the golden oil secreted from a plant being sandwiched against two hot surfaces.

Due to this manufacturing process’s simplicity, most consumers usually do at home with tools that can be used for extracting, such as two flat irons. It might sound silly, but it works for them.

7. CO2 Oil

The last known variant of dabs is this oil made from carbon dioxide instead of the usual butane or specialized water as the solvent. It is also one of the most challenging dab variants to be produced due to its complicated manufacturing process, wherein you will need a required, specialized tool for it. Without the said tool, you cannot make this dab variant at all.

But all is worth the hassle when you see the final result: a pure oil with amber coloring that is very beautiful to look at and is much presentable in terms of its color alone. During its manufacturing process, food-grade propylene glycol or glycerin is mixed to ensure that the material keeps its temperature at room-level.

Cannabis Dabbing: How to Do It?

As mentioned earlier, dabbing is correctly done via heating and evaporating a concentrate via extremely high temperatures through a specialized tool that can handle such temperatures. The said heating and evaporating process would result in smoke, in which the user will inhale it from the dab rig to feel the effects and the corresponding high from the smoke.

The cannabis dabbing tool is called the dab rig, usually made up of some parts, including a dome and a nail. Take note that you will need a blowtorch of some kind to do cannabis dabbing.

Once you have assembled the rig, the nail’s heating with a blowtorch until it is glowing red-hot would be the next step. After doing so, place the dome on top of the rig, preventing the smoke from escaping. Once done, place the nail in the concentrate to melt and evaporate it, and then once the smoke has been formed, you may then inhale it through the mouthpiece of the rig. Please take note that it is advised to do all of this while sitting, to avoid any accident.

Cannabis Dabbing - The Benefits

Like any form of cannabis consumption, cannabis dabbing has unique benefits that make it unique from other cannabis consumption types.

The main benefit of dabbing is the quick dosage of high thanks to the direct inhalation of smoke produced from dabbing. It is beneficial for most users who consume cannabis for medical purposes. The fast dosage can help them quickly alleviate many symptoms of their disease that needs a specific type of cannabis as a treatment.

Conclusion

As we have seen in this article today, cannabis dabbing is one of the best ways to consume cannabis at the comfort of your own home, in your free time. Sure, it may not be as compact like cannabis pens, or as discreet as cannabis edibles, but the pure high that you get from dabbing is a massive benefit from this consumption process.

Additionally, this is an excellent option for consumers with medical needs. The effects of the concentrates that they used can be felt quickly on their end, helping them relieve various symptoms of their illnesses, such as extreme pain, insomnia, and nausea.

Furthermore, cannabis dabbing users can choose from a wide variety of dab concentrates, giving them the option on which one to use for their cannabis needs. Some of those dab concentrates can be manufactured by the consumers in their homes provided they have the right tools for producing one.

Lastly, the process of doing cannabis dabbing itself is straightforward. There are various specialized tools for touching that can be purchased for a low price on most online cannabis dispensaries and physical stores that are allowed to sell cannabis in their respective location.

Thanks to the facts and options featured above, the usage of cannabis dabbing as a form of consumption method for cannabis is very accessible to the cannabis-consuming public. It provided them the ease of buying their concentrates of their choosing and the tools required for dabbing, without the hassle of going through a lot of stuff when buying it personally from a store that doesn’t specialize cannabis-related material. We highly advise you to try this specific method yourself!