How do dabs work

In fact, one study found that dabbing can lead to higher tolerance and worse withdrawal symptoms. What's more, it is dangerous for users to assume that dabbing carries the same risks as smoking marijuana. Instead, most researchers say that dabbing is to marijuana what crack is to cocaine. There is simply no comparison between dabbing and smoking joints. Dabbing also includes a number of dangerous side effects like a rapid heartbeat, blackouts, crawling sensations on the skin, loss of consciousness, and psychotic symptoms such as paranoia and hallucinations.

Meanwhile, a study conducted by researchers at Portland State University, found that dabbing also may expose users to elevated levels of toxins including carcinogenic compounds. What the scientists found is that the higher the temperature the substance is exposed to, the more carcinogens, toxins, and potential irritants that are produced. This fact, in turn, puts users at a greater risk than other methods of getting high because there is a challenge in controlling the nail temperature.

As a result, people who dab are being exposed to harmful chemicals including methacrolein and benzene. Another danger with dabbing is the fact that making hash oil is one of the riskiest aspects of dabbing. Keep in mind that dabs are made by blasting butane or lighter fluid through the marijuana plant. It is highly flammable and unstable. So, adding heat to a substance like this is extremely dangerous.

What's more, after the process has been completed, any remaining butane is now in the form of gas in the room. As a result, the smallest spark—even one produced by static electricity—can cause an explosion. The risks are similar to that of a meth lab. Consequently, there have been increasing reports of houses, apartment buildings, and other structures exploding during the extraction process. When this happens, the people involved are either killed or become burn victims with broken bones who need skin grafts and reconstructive surgery.

The bottom line is that dabbing is a potentially dangerous process that comes with real risks to a person's health and overall well-being. It also is very appealing to teens and young adults. For this reason, parents and educators need to talk to young people about the risks associated with dabbing while stressing that just one hit can not only put them at risk for lifelong addiction but also can kill them if they take in too much.

Learn the best ways to manage stress and negativity in your life. American Lung Association. Atom Bomb Rigs These are designed to combine the benefits of water pipes and vaporizers. Where Do Dabs Come From? Will They Cause You to Fly? The best practices for getting high with dabs include: Always make you purchase from a reputable source , because dabs vary in purity and strength due to the extraction method used. Clean your dabbing implement after every use.

Otherwise, you allow residue to build up, making it much harder to clean; we recommend using isopropyl alcohol as a cleaner. Make sure you rinse after cleaning! Check out storage recommendations for your dab and follow them to the letter if you wish to avoid contamination. Try to remember that dabbing is not for everyone. Therefore, you should not purchase expensive equipment until you have tried dabbing a few times and realize that you like it.

The age of the plant material. Method of extraction. Type of marijuana strain. When the plant was harvested. The amount of time the solvent is in contact with the source material. Here are a few things to look out for when sampling dabs: Aroma : Make sure the concentrate has a weed-like smell. If there is no obvious scent or it emits a foul, pungent odor, steer clear. Texture : Good hash oil has a syrup-style texture, while high-CBD strains are more crystalline.

Appearance : The best forms of shatter will resemble stained glass, while crumble has a honeycomb look. Hash oil should resemble light maple syrup. Taste : Good dabs taste like weed; full stop! If they taste like solvents, you have a bad-quality product in your hands, and are potentially risking your health by inhaling them.

Dabbing Pros You can argue that dabs are better for your health than weed because they provide a cleaner hit. When you smoke dry herb, you inhale combusted charred plant material that ends up as tar in your lungs. Concentrates get rid of most of this unnecessary material, which means greater medical benefits and lower levels of heavy tar. As dry herb burns at a higher temperature than concentrates, the cooler vapor inhaled from dabs is much smoother on the throat and lungs. Dabbing is the fastest and most effective way to consume cannabis for medical reasons.

High-quality dabs also work out cheaper in the long run, even though they are far more expensive per gram. You produce far less second-hand smoke during a dabbing session. Dabbing Cons As concentrates are exceptionally potent, they make it all too easy to consume an excess amount of THC.

The dab high is faster, much stronger, and more hallucinogenic than a weed high, and there are reports of inexperienced users ending up in the hospital after a dabbing session. While dabs ideally are a cleaner, more flavorful alternative to smoking flower, they're also very strong and can take some users by surprise. Novice users who want to dip their toe into the dab pool should probably start with a vape pen to get used to concentrates in general, and then work themselves up to dabbing.

Bottom line is, you should probably only dab if you : A are looking for something with a higher level of potency, flavor, and medical effect than traditional weed, but a more immediate and reliable effect than edibles, and B have a consistent and verified source of quality concentrate. Ry Prichard is a Denver-based cannabis photographer and researcher who does 5 dabs before his first cup of coffee in the morning.

Follow him into the vapor cloud cannabisencyclo. Skip to main content Lifestyle. And because dabs are vaporized rather than combusted, dabbing also delivers a very clean taste, if done properly. Newer dab rigs include more precise temperature controls, allowing dabbers to dial in ranges for certain terpenes or cannabinoids.

Dabbing has quickly become one of the most popular consumption methods of consuming cannabis, offering a potent high and flavor-packed experience. It is usually done with a dab rig — a glass chamber similar to a bong. Rigs typically include a titanium, ceramic, quartz, or glass nail, also known as a banger. Think of them as the bowl or place to hold the concentrate.

Consumers use a butane torch or e-nail to bring the banger to a temperature that almost instantly vaporizes the concentrates. Because it utilizes concentrated cannabis, dabbing typically offers a more potent high and more immediate effects than smoking flower. It will also usually produce stronger flavors and terpene-rich aromas. If you're concerned about odor, you might be wondering, do dabs smell?

To some extent, yes, but the scent of marijuana concentrates do not linger very long. Moreover, dabbing arguably offers even more discretion when handheld vaporizers and portable e-rigs are used.