Dabbing used to be talked about as a magic mystery cannabis consumption technique reserved only for the most hardcore cannabis enthusiasts. You may have heard of it but most likely had no idea how to go about trying it. Well, that’s no longer the case. 

Dabbing has now become one of the most popular ways to enjoy cannabis products. The legalization of cannabis is growing. More people are using cannabis for medicinal or recreational purposes. Consumption methods are being discussed more than ever, with dabbing as a consistent topic of interest. 

Still, dabbing isn’t as straightforward as eating an edible or smoking a rolled joint. You need to know what you’re doing to create an optimal and enjoyable dabbing experience.

Understanding Dabbing

The word ‘dab’ generally refers to a concentrated cannabis extract or oil. The exact form of a dab differs depending on the extraction methods used on the plant. Examples include pressed rosin, shatter, and budder. 

Dabbing is essentially the process of inhaling vaporized cannabis concentrates. It eliminates the additional combustion of plant matter you’d get from smoking. Because it comes from concentrates, a dab is also one of the most direct and potent ways to start feeling the effects of cannabis. However, there are essential steps you must follow to feel these effects.

Know The Basic Steps

Before you can focus on dabbing like a pro, you first must learn how to do it properly. Luckily, the basic steps are relatively simple to understand. Once you’ve gathered your dabbing things—kit, tools, and concentrate—you have everything you need to start taking hits. 

Here are the five basic steps:

1. Heat the nail— you can do this by using a torch or the built-in functions of an electric nail.
2. Give the nail a moment to cool—10 to 45 seconds is generally recommended.
3. Put your dab onto the hot surface of the nail— move it around with your dabber tool to help it start evaporating. This is when you should start to slowly inhale.
4. Cover the nail with a cap—this is essential. You can use the cap to enhance or manipulate the airflow as you inhale.
5. Exhale your dab—allow some time for the effects to kick in before you decide to take a second hit or not (as mentioned earlier, dabbing hits hard).

Don’t Let It Get Too Hot

You’ve probably heard pro dabbers talking about complicated things like voltage or specific settings on their dab. It might make you wonder, how does something like a 2.4 voltage create more flavor?  

If you really want to take your dabbing experience to a new level, you should consider the temperature. You want to hit just the right temperature when dabbing.  

Get it too low, and you might not effectively vaporize your concentrate, resulting in wasting the concentrate. Get it too high, and you could have a negative experience, such as a harsh hit that burns the throat and lungs or an unpleasant flavor. The best temperature for dabbing is high enough to vaporize everything but low enough to preserve the flavor and isn’t too hot to inhale. Ideally, it should be anywhere between 500-600°F.

This is very difficult to achieve using a torch. But you can get precise control over your temperature through an electric dab rig or an electric nail (e-rig or e-nail).  

Source The Best Concentrate

Sure, just about any cannabis concentrate is going to get you high. But not all dabs are of the same quality. In fact, you’re more likely to encounter lower-quality dabs simply because they’re easier to produce and are more affordable.  

However, a professional dabbing experience involves more than just getting high. It’s about enjoying the process, the quality of your hit, knowing about terpenes, and the cannabis flavor coming out of your dab. If this is your goal, it’s worth putting in the extra time to source the best quality concentrates you can find. 

So do your research about terpenes to understand how they influence the flavor of a dab. Learn which flavors you enjoy. 

Reliable, high-quality stores and dispensaries should be able to provide information on the flavors and terpenes found in their concentrates. They should also provide clear information on their procedures, licensing, and certifications.  

Another option is to learn to make your own concentrates. Simple concentrates can be pressed from dried, cured cannabis flowers. You may even decide to grow your own cannabis plants if you want to take this a step further.

Consistently Clean Your Dab Rig

Pros clean their dab rigs. They know that any residue from the previous dabbing session can interfere with the experience of the current one. Clean your dab after every session to maintain consistent heating of your concentrate. Regular cleaning also prevents the previous session’s concentrate from influencing the flavor of your current dab. 

Ensure you’ve acquired the necessary tools to clean your dabbing setup. You can easily wash your rig with warm water. Although, it’ll probably require additional products—like alcohol or cleaning solution and a torch—to completely clear any excess resin.

Be Wary Of Big, Heavy Hits

Dabbing cannabis concentrates is considerably more potent than smoking dried cannabis flowers. Don’t expect to have the same experience as you had when smoking. Taking too big a hit may leave you feeling more of the THC effects than you expected. It might be too intense, leading to an uncomfortable high. 

Start off by taking small hits using a small amount of concentrate, especially if you’re a beginner. Work your way up until you learn how big of a hit you enjoy. Remember that you can always have more if your first hit isn’t intense enough, but you can’t undo a hit that is too intense.

Conclusion

Taking your dabbing experience from a beginner to a pro-level is easier than you might expect. Once you’re comfortable with the basic dabbing process, the next steps will be easier for you. Invest in gear that gives you more control over your kit’s temperature, clean your equipment after every use, source dab concentrates you love, and learn how to take controlled hits.  

You’ll start discovering your personal preferences from there. As you experiment, you’ll learn what comprises the best dab experiences. Soon enough, you’ll be dabbing as if you were born to do it.