What is a Weed Dab?
What is a weed dab? And no, this has nothing to do with the ‘dab’ pose we see in pop culture. The realm of dabbing weed can be intimidating to those who are new to it and also to those who are looking to dive deeper into their cannabis use. In our weed dab guide, we will explain the definition of dabbing, the process of dabbing, the various kinds of weed dabs and production methods.
What is a Weed Dab?
Weed dabs are concentrated forms of cannabis that come in a variety of textures and colors. You can consume them in a dab rig, e-rig (an electronic rig), or a dab pen (also called a wax pen). Dabbing involves extremely high heat that quickly turns the concentrate (a weed dab) into vapor, and this happens at temperatures between 400-600°F. In comparison, burning regular cannabis flower occurs at around 350°F.
A typical dab rig looks similar to a bong. It’s made of glass and has a section for water. Yet instead of a bowl like you have for flower, there’s a nail for dabs. Since dabbing needs higher heat, the nail is usually heated using a torch and then allowed to cool to the right temperature prior to adding the concentrate.
Dabs are named for their texture, and the texture is expressive to the process used to create them. There are several extraction methods to create different styles of dabs. All dabs are sticky, and can come in various colors like: yellow, amber, brown, and even white.
What’s the Difference between Concentrates, Extracts and Dabs?
The extraction process begins with the trichomes. These tiny resin-filled glands on the cannabis plant hold cannabinoids like THC and CBD, and terpenes, which deliver the high you feel and the diversity of flavors you taste in different strains.
There are several ways to extract and separate the trichomes. These methods separate the trichomes from the rest of the plant to create cannabis extracts. These extracts can have a texture and consistency similar to oil, sap, wax, butter, taffy, sauce, and more.
Extracts are highly potent. They only hold the resin from the trichomes, none come from the cannabis flower itself. Canna-sseurs also call them cannabis concentrates. You can use “extract” or “concentrate” when talking about dabs, they closely mean the same thing.
Most concentrates are used through dabbing, but some concentrates, like kief and tinctures, aren’t used for dabbing. Kief and tinctures, are usually alcohol extractions. That being said, they’re still concentrates, because they take the trichomes from the plant, yet are used in different ways.
Then there are vape pens. Vapes use cartridges filled with extracts, but these extracts are mixed with other things to make them less potent. Vape pens aren’t considered something that can be ‘dabbed’ because they’re not used with a dab rig.
Hash and Oil:
“Hash” and “oil” may be confusing to some because their terminology can refer to extracts, but they can also refer to specific extracts.
For example, “oil” can also refer specifically to distillates, an extract that has an oil-like consistency, and “hash” can refer to dry-sift, or brick hash.
But here’s a twist for those who don’t know: July 10th (7/10) is called “Oil Day.” 710 is a day to celebrate all kinds of cannabis extracts, not just distillates.
Dabbing Precautions
PLEASE NOTE: Taking a weed dab is NOT like smoking, vaping, or eating edibles. Here are some things to keep in mind when you’re dabbing:
Can you overdose on a dab?
Reportedly, nobody has overdosed on cannabis. That being said, you need to be extra cautious with dabs due to their high potency, and they might surprise you if you’re not prepared.
Regular cannabis contains around 15-25% THC, but concentrates are much stronger, containing around 60-90% THC. This means that even a tiny hit of a dab can result to getting extremely high. One small hit can be like smoking a whole joint or even two, and it hits you all at once.
If you’ve never tried dabbing before, we suggest doing it somewhere you will feel safe and comfortable. Also, it’s a good idea to have a friend show you how. It’s a bit trickier than just lighting a bowl all by yourself.
Like we always say, start low and slow and gradually build up. If you’re feeling good and want to take on another hit, go for it! It’s nicer to ease into your high rather than dive in head first.
Solvents:
It’s important to purchase cannabis products that have been tested in a lab and approved in a legal market. This is especially important with dabs because lots of them are made using solvents. These solvents need to be taken out completely from the final dab product. Legal markets have strict regulations about how much residual solvent can be in the cannabis products they sell.
High Temps:
Nails and e-nails become super hot once torched, even up to 600°F, so if you touch one by mistake, it’s not going to feel too great. Be cautious when handling your nail, and make sure everything cools down before you consider touching it.
If you’re nervous about using a torch, explore e-nails or e-rigs. They still get really hot, but you don’t need a torch, and they give you the same level of steady heat.
How are Weed Dabs Made?
There are several ways to create weed dabs. That being said, all extraction processes must remove the trichomes from the cannabis plant. These trichomes contain essential cannabinoids and terpenes which make the concentrate potent.
Here are a few factors that influence how a concentrate makes you feel, its potency, and its flavor:
– Type and quality of cannabis used — trim, buds, whole plants, hash, and so on.
– Extraction process — using chemicals or not.
– Post-extraction process —like dewaxing, winterization, and whipping.
Types of Dabs:
Oil:
Oil, also called distillate, is resemblant to a thick liquid. Cannabis consumers often put distillate in vape cartridges, and isolate certain cannabis compounds. It’s also used to make edibles, lotions, and other cannabis products.
Shatter:
Shatter looks gold or amber in color and is tough, similar to glass. This extract uses chemicals and is spread out in sheets to create a thick layer. After that, it’s put in a special oven to get rid of any leftover chemicals.
It’s not easy to make clear shatter. It’s tough to stop it from changing and becoming opaque.
Wax:
The term ‘wax’ is used to describe various types of dabs that are soft and can be shaped differently. Typically, if shatter gets soft and doesn’t stay clear throughout its process, it can usually be whipped until it turns into a wax consistency.
There are different types of wax like budder, batter and sugar. Wax can be made in different ways, but a common way is by using butane. Usually, people dab wax, but you can also add it to your bowls, joints, or blunts to make them stronger.
Live Resin:
Live resin is made from cannabis plants that are frozen at harvest and stay frozen while turned into an extract, whereas other extracts are produced from dried plants. Because of this, live resin retains more terpenes, which give it a stronger aroma and flavor.
Using solvents to make the live resin, it usually has a sauce-like consistency. This makes it simple to handle when you’re dabbing.
There ya have it! Your ‘What is a Weed Dab’ FAQ! Have other questions? Email us at gd-support@greendragon.com