Don't get me wrong. I just want you to get the best possible effect from your dabs. I love dabbing!
Welcome to this second issue of High On Dispensaries, where I'll be bringing you tips, tricks and stories from the inside of Colorado's cannabis industry.
Today, it's all about dabs!
I love dabbing, though I may have already mentioned that. Been doing it for years. I must confess, however, that I didn't really start doing it correctly until very recently. And since I started working in a dispensary, I've noticed that very few others do the hash oils justice with their dabbing.
What is dabbing?
Dabbing is simply vaporizing cannabis concentrates. Even more simply, it's vaping hash.
Hash ain't what it used to be. Now there are many different types of extracts and concentrates, including budder, wax, honey oil, shatter, live resin, rosin press, distillate... phew.
To get larger amounts of medicine into your system quickly (and without ripping your lungs to little shreds) dabbing was created. Let me explain the process.
A "nail" is heated with a torch. The nails are made of either glass, quartz crystal, titanium or ceramic. When the nail has been heated to the appropriate temperature, a small dab of hash oil is simply touched to the hot nail, instantly vaporizing it. The vapor travels through the rig as I suck on the other end. It's pretty simple, right? Only at first glance.
THE TEMPERATURE MATTERS
When you heat a quartz nail with a torch, it can reaches temperatures of well over 1000 degrees fahrenheit, which is more than twice as hot needed to vaporize everything good in the oil.
There are hundreds of different chemicals, cannabinoids and terpenes in the hash that all have different benefits to bring to the table. If you burn them way to hot, you waste the health benefits as well as run the risk of hurting yourself.
THE GOAL: Vaporize at the Lowest Possible Temperature.
After I heat my nail to red hot, I wait. I wait longer than you may think. With a quartz nail, I usually wait about one minute after heating to get as close as possible to the correct temperature.
There are a couple ways to test, since you're unable to take an exact temperature without an e-nail.
If it puddles, it's too cool. If it scorches, it's too hot.
This is the easiest way to tell how close you were. The oil should be completely vaporizing, without leaving a puddle or residue on the inside of the nail.
Dab Lower Temps - You'll be Glad You Did
I can't even tell you how many people in the dispensary have told me "they don't like dabs" because they're too harsh. This is a misconception based on misuse and lack of education. Dabbing is not harsher than smoking. Contrarily, vaporization is the next step, and it's situated to become a bigger industry than smoking ever was. When you get the temperature right with some quality dabs, you'll know it. The planets will align, the heavens will open and you will see the truth of everything. Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but you get the idea.
And Once You Figure It Out, Get an E-Rig
If you get into dabbing, you'll want to get an e-rig. An e-rig or e-nail is perfect dabs every single time. They are automated units that heat the nail to an exact temperature, specified by a digital thermostat. There's no comparison.
If you love dabs, just buy one. This is the bee-nail, the cadillac of e-rigs.
STAY TUNED FOR MORE from High On Dispensaries
I can't wait to share more tips and tricks from the cannabis industry with you, my Steemian friends!
Check out my first post, here:
https://steemit.com/marijuana/@chrisroberts/high-on-dispensaries-1-an-open-letter-to-first-timers
Please do your own research on this; you'll be glad you did. Specific temperatures work differently for different needs. Find out what works for you, but remember that my basic advice is Lower Temp is Better.
Here's an article from Leafly:
https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/why-low-temperatures-are-so-important-for-dabbing
*Pics are either mine, courtesy of bee-nails.com, or free from pixabay.com
Spread the word, friends! Happy dabbing!
Solid info, @chrisroberts. Temp matters - taste matters. Volatile terpenes start to evaporate/boil off at 70°f, so there goes the taste and aroma at too high of a temp. I found this pretty awesome list of terpenes and their boiling points for anyone who is interested in seeing what they are losing when dabbing at super high temps. 🔥🚀
Makes me want to save for that 'Cadillac rig' 😎
Awesome! Thanks for sharing that link. I didn't want to get into anything too specific. I've just noticed there's a huge problem across the board with dabbing too hot. It turns people off of this effective delivery method.
Dabbing should get a fair chance. :)
And I still don't have an e-rig. That's why I'm explaining how to use the torch correctly. Every time I think I should buy one, some cryptocurrency goes on sale that I can't pass on :D
Thanks for reading @grow-pro!
No worries man, your post is excellent. Maybe a future post on terpenoids as a derivative of this ;)
Concentrate usage is young and still requires more consumer education - something you're doing a fine job of presenting to the public. Grab that crypto when the price is right, bro! HAHA I was loving the fire sale this weekend 😎
I'm kind of obsessed with terpenes right now actually. I've been learning a lot and experimenting with vaping terpene-infused distillates. Holy crap, I think that flavor gets me higher than THC ever dreamed of. :)
It is pretty wild how one plant can withhold so much to be discovered. How about β-myrcene - a terpene that is thought to (from same link as above)
Can only imagine the terpene-infused distillates are a tasty way to start the day!
It's a matter of time before cannabis dominates the essential oils industry. What other plants contains this many beneficial properties? None or else they'd be illegal too 😆
I got friends here who dab to high.. I'm definitely gonna show them your post.. resteeming so I can find it later
I certainly appreciate it! I wish someone would have told me some of this stuff back when I was doing red nail dabs. :)
Of course, if you're trying to dab a whole gram in one breath, you're gonna have to go a little hot. Thanks!
This is great info. For reals, I used to be one to say, "I don't really like dabs", but on because I was doing it wrong. Once the hubs started researching we found the light. LOL!
And now, I dab a little in everything or so my profile says. 😎
Take heed. You'll be happy you did.
*Edit to fix my head...
Hehehe... "Take head."
You better not take my head @carrieallen...
I fixed it. I fixed it.😜
Loving this. I have just recently been introduced to dabs and i love them. This is a great post with good old information. Thank I have been looking into all of this and i might just have to invest in it.
Thanks for your feedback! Check out the Boost by Dr. Dabber. That's the one that I'm going to get. Any day now. It's a pretty sweet little e-rig unit for a good price :)
I've yet to try dabbing but this article is pushing me over the edge!
I use a nice little Nectar Collector and I love it! Right now I have some Sunset Sherbet Sugar :-D
That sounds delightful :)
Thanks for your feedback!
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Thanks , @cannabiscurator and thanks @netgodbeerus! Rock on!
Dabbing is something I want to try so badly! I live in a state where marijuana is, unfortunately, still not legal. It makes getting dabs (and edibles/etc) MUCH more difficult. I love indica heavy strains (anxiety and sleep problems). I feel like dabbing right before bed would be AMAZING!!!
I feel for you, but don't be discouraged. :)
Your time for dabbing will come. Plus it really seems like your ahead of the curve just knowing what you like.
Thanks!