Beginners Guide to Dabbing

Dabbing is one of the most unique and potent ways to consume cannabis. It involves the use of a dab rig to vape high-potency cannabis concentrates. While it’s not recommended for beginners, dabbing is a great way for experienced cannabis users to get the best out of their cannabis concentrates. You can use it with all kinds of concentrates and it offers an extremely powerful hit of THC every time.

There are many different ways to take cannabis nowadays, and when smoking or vaping gets old and the novelty of oils and edibles wears off, dabbing offers another interesting alternative. Although you may have to spend a little more on equipment when it comes to dabbing, it’s often worth it for the extremely strong effects- even one hit from a dab rig will hit you hard and fast, leaving you feeling very high.

No matter what your choice of concentrate, dabbing can help you really feel the effects. Users often dab shatter, wax, budder, and various other cannabis concentrates for a great high. However, before you try to dab, you should know all about what it is, what to expect, how to set up a dab rig, and what are the best dabs to use. Here’s a beginner’s guide to dabbing to help you out.

What is Dabbing?

Dabbing is a little bit like smoking out of a bong or taking a hit out of a vaporizer. However, the hits are much stronger, the equipment is more complex, and the products used are usually high-potency cannabis concentrates that give you a heavy hit every time. People usually dab to get the best effects from their cannabis concentrates.

If the novelty of smoking, vaping or using other cannabis products wears off, dabbing offers a much more intense and powerful high that hits you hard and fast. Recreational users enjoy it for the potent THC effects it gives you. It can also be useful for medical users- you can instantly get strong effects of pain relief and euphoria that will make you feel relaxed and relieved.

In order to dab, you need the right equipment. This usually involves a dab rig complete with a dab nail and blowtorch. It can look a bit intimidating to some users, and it’s important to be very cautious when you use a dab rig. Alternatively, you can also now find dab pens. These are like vape pens which are designed for use with dabs such as wax and shatter.

You can dab many different types of cannabis concentrates, and the products you use are often referred to as dabs. Popular concentrates include shatter, wax, butane hash oil (BHO), live resin, and budder. You only need a small amount of your product in order to dab- you apply this to the nail and light it with a blow torch. You might be taken aback by how strong the hit is the first time you use it, but dabbing can be a lot of fun for experienced users.

What Do You Need to Dab?

In order to dab, you need some special equipment. Although dabbing is little like using a bong, the items you need work a little differently and you’ll need to invest a bit of money into getting the right tools for the job.

The first thing you’ll need is a dab rig. A dab rig looks similar to a bong, although it uses a nail instead of a bowl and is shaped differently. There are many different kinds of dab rigs out there with different styles and designs to suit everyone.

You’ll also need a dab nail. This is the attachment where you put your concentrates. There are many different kinds of nails but generally, the best materials are glass, ceramic or titanium. Alternatively, you can use a banger. These are like bucket-shaped dab nails made out of quartz which make dabbing easier.

You apply your concentrates to the dab nail using a dab tool or dabber. This is a small utensil which you use to pick up a small dab and apply it to your nail without burning yourself.

Finally, you need a blow torch to light up your dabs. Most people use a small, handheld propane torch for this. A regular lighter won’t help here, you need something more powerful. Some dab rigs give you all of the equipment you need in one, although you can also customize your rig. Once you have everything you need, you can buy your favorite cannabis concentrates and start dabbing.

How To Dab

Once you have all of your equipment, it’s fairly easy to get the hang of dabbing. However, since you’ll be using a blow torch, it’s important to practice caution and be careful while lighting up and inhaling your dabs. You should also make sure you have somewhere to sit down as a dab can hit you hard. Once you’re prepared, here are the steps to take.

Step 1: You start by heating up the nail of your dab rig. Point your blow torch at the nail and heat it up until it’s red hot. You’ll need to let your nail cool for about 10-30 seconds depending on the material, but make sure it’s still hot when you apply your dabs.

Step 2: Take a small dab of your chosen concentrate with your dab tool and apply it to the nail. It’ll heat up fast and you can now place your dome over the nail if you have one and slowly inhale the vapor produced by the dab.

Step 3: Don’t hold the hit for too long- dabs can be very strong. Inhale, exhale, and enjoy the effects. You may find that you need to lay back- this is normal considering the potency of the products. If you want to take another hit, follow the same process.

You can take as many hits as you like with a dab rig, but many people find that one is enough. Be prepared for intense effects, especially when you’re using strong concentrates.

What Can You Dab?

Dab rigs are designed for use with various different kinds of cannabis concentrates. These are often referred to as dabs. You only need a small amount of concentrate to get high with a dab rig, so you can get plenty of use out of just a small quantity of concentrates. Here are some of the common concentrates that people use.

Shatter – Shatter is one of the most popular kinds of cannabis concentrate. It has a glass-like form with holes in it. Shatter breaks apart easily and burns easily, making it easy to take a small dab of it. Due to how common it is, you can find many different strains of shatter where you need an indica, sativa or hybrid variety.

Budder – Budder is another powerful form of cannabis concentrate. It’s a solid but pliable concentrate which you can quite easily break apart for dabbing. Budder can contain very high THC levels and give you a potent high quickly.

Live Resin – Live Resin is another popular concentrate that contains high levels of terpenes, making it strong and flavorful. Live Resin often comes in an almost sauce-like form, making it particularly easy to apply to a dab nail and start dabbing. This is one of the best choices for dabbing.

Other options include wax, BHO, and rosin. Some products work better than others for dabbing. For instance, Hash can be harder to dab due to its rigid form and high quantity of plant matter. You should also never try to dab weed.

Why Choose Dabbing?

With plenty of other options available, some users might wonder what’s the point of dabbing. Although it’s a method that isn’t best-suited to everyone, dabbing does have its perks, especially when it comes to potency.

Many recreational users find dabbing to be a novel and interesting way to get much higher than usual. A single hit from a dab rib can instantly give you an intense high, and the effects often feel different than smoking or vaping.

Medical users can also benefit from dabbing. It’ll quickly hit you with potent pain relief. It can also help with things like headaches, migraines, nausea, stress, depression, insomnia, and more. Anxiety sufferers may find the overpowering high a bit uncomfortable, but for many other medical conditions, it’s a good way to treat severe symptoms.

Dabbing also helps you get great value out of your cannabis concentrates. It’s a good way to get the effects of the high levels of THC and terpenes contained in different types of dabs. What’s more, it only takes a small amount to give yourself a hard-hitting high, meaning you can make it last for a while.

Drawbacks of Dabbing

Dabbing can be a great way to get high, but there are some negatives to consider. Dabbing is still a fairly new way of consuming marijuana, and there may be long-term side effects we still don’t know about. Considering the strong high, it also may be a little too powerful for some users.

When you use a dab rig, it can cause some extreme effects. You may experience rapid heartbeat, dizziness, nausea, and more if you’re not used to it. Beginners should be especially careful. It can also help to have someone else around to spot you.

What’s more, the powerful high may be uncomfortable for some. Consuming high levels of THC can sometimes cause side effects such as anxiety and paranoia. Although the effects can also be positive, those with severe anxiety symptoms or those who want a milder high should avoid dabbing.

Getting a dab rig and blow torch can also be expensive, and you may prefer to simply invest in a high-quality vaporizer if you want to use cannabis concentrates. Dabbing can also be dangerous- inhaling butane can harm your lungs and there have even been some cases of explosions from people trying to make hash oil for dabbing.

Dabbing vs Smoking: Which is Better?

If you need a good alternative to dabbing, you may simply prefer to stick to smoking. Smoking is simple yet effective and you can still get a strong high if you use high-quality products.

Dabbing will give you a more powerful high, but this isn’t necessarily ideal for some users. You may prefer to smoke for a milder high which you can increase or re-up whenever you want. All it takes is a few more hits of a joint, as opposed to setting up a dab rig with a blow torch again.

As a happy medium, you may prefer to smoke out of a bong. Bong hits will generally give you stronger and longer-lasting effects than smoking a joint. Plus, it’s quick, easy, and you can find many affordable bongs. Although it’s best to use cannabis strains for smoking, you can mix concentrates with your herbs in a joint or bong if you want to increase the effects.

Dabbing vs Edibles: Which is Better?

Alternatively, you can also try cannabis edibles. Edibles are known for giving you extremely strong effects. This is because, when consumed, the THC in edibles is converted into the stronger 11-hydroxy-THC by your liver before it makes your way around your body.

The effects of edibles take one or two hours to kick in as your body must digest the THC first. However, when it does kick in, the effects can last for many hours- sometimes eight or more. You’ll get an invigorating, euphoric high that lasts for ages.

Taking marijuana edibles is also one of the most affordable ways to get high. You can find many cheap weed gummies and chocolate bars that can last you for multiple uses. There’s no need to buy extra equipment- all you need to do is eat them and enjoy. If you need a strong high, edibles might be a favorable choice to dabbing.

Conclusion

Dabbing is a unique way to get powerful effects from your cannabis concentrates. You’ll need to invest in some equipment and get your hands on some cannabis concentrates, but it offers one of the strongest highs possible. Remember to be cautious when dabbing- using a blow torch can be dangerous and the effects may be uncomfortable for beginners. However, if you want to try something new and get the most out of your concentrates, dabbing is worth trying out.