For the uninitiated, dabbing is one of the latest trends in cannabis consumption and uses a potent product made by extracting both the psychoactive and the curative compounds found in the botanical plant matter. Today, we’ll look into why dabbing has taken the entirety of the cannabis industry by storm and why it’s blown the minds and melted the faces of many consumers worldwide. By answering frequently asked questions about dabbing, as well as questions most of us are afraid to ask, we’ll help you figure out the benefits and the risks of this growing trend.
So, join us and find out everything there is to know about dabbing so you can be prepared before taking up your new habit.
Common questions about dabbing:
- When were dabs invented?
- Is dabbing addictive?
- What are the side effects of dabbing?
- How do you dab?
- What is a dab pen?
- How much is a dab pen?
- How old do you have to be to buy a dab pen?
- What Happens if you get caught with a dab pen?
Q: When were dabs invented?
A: Some sources say that dabs have been around since the 1940s. However, what we can be sure of is that they have first peaked popularity around the 1970s where many works have been published regarding the preparation and consumption of wax concentrates or as what we come to know now as dabs. In a book called Marijuana Chemistry: Genetics Processing and Potency, authored by Michael Starks, different means of extracting the concentrate including the various mediums of solvents used, apparatuses for extraction, and other facts about dabs are discussed in detail. Needless to say, at the time of its publication, dabs have been around circles of avid wax concentrate (dab) consumers.
Q: Is dabbing addictive?
A: Well, there are two answers to this question and we’ll tackle this topic by looking at both windows. What you need to know is that dabs contain a high concentration of both the psychoactive and the medicinal compounds found in cannabis. That said, a small glob of wax concentrate induces intense and long-lasting effects. The sudden upshot of consuming high doses of cannabinoids can facilitate higher tolerances which can be the building blocks of a possible addiction to its psychoactive compounds. Your body’s reaction to potent doses of cannabinoids is to want more. Nevertheless, when used with caution, dabbing can be a pleasurable experience, in both medical and recreational terms.
So, to answer this question, dabbing can be addictive when used carelessly. It’s best to seek help from an experienced consumer or a physician to guide you and help you control and accordingly adjust your consumption patterns and habits to your advantage.
Q: What are the side effects of dabbing?
A: Because of the potent active ingredients in dabs, consuming wax concentrates can cause an increase in the upshots you get when consuming cannabis. These include increased heartbeat, perspiration, and dependency. In order to veer away from the so-called side effects of dabbing, one should take a careful approach. Start by significantly small doses of wax concentrates sometimes called “micro-dabs.” given away by the name itself, micro-dabs are very small doses of cannabis often administered through the use of a dab pen compared to using desktop rigs.
Q: How do you dab?
A: Traditional dabbing was done with rigs that can be likened to modern-desktop vaporizers today. Dab rigs are made up of several components including the actual rig, a nail, a dome, a torch, and a dabber. First, you fill the rig with water enough that it can create bubbles when you pull from it and not that it splashes from your mouth when taking a drag. Next, place the nail in the joint and heat it with the torch until it turns orange. Then, place the dome and wait for several seconds. Finally, dab the wax using the dabber and pull from the rig.
Because of the tedious process involving the use of dab rigs, many consumers prefer using dab pens.
Q: What is a dab pen?
A: Dab pens are small and compact tools that allow you to take small doses of cannabis concentrates while you're on-the-go. Dab pens are vaporizers made to resemble a humble pen, because of its size and dimensions, the components used in dab pens are fairly limited having only a battery, a heating element, and a mouthpiece. Nevertheless, modern-day dab pens allow consumers to enjoy a torch-less means of consuming wax concentrates.
Q: How much is a dab pen?
A: Dab pens are more affordable compared to its dab rig counterparts. Today’s dab pens go from a little under $20.00 (Source 10Cig Quartz Vaporizer) to well over $100.00 (Atmos Tyga X Shine Pillar Vaporizer). Some of the factors that determine a dab pen’s price is build quality, production run, choice of raw materials, and features.
Dab pens with larger batteries also tend to be more expensive than others. There are also dab pens that use smarter technologies like microchips that allow you to regulate or change temperature and remember various settings you’ve used to make your experience more convenient.
Q: How old do you have to be to buy a dab pen?
A: Currently, the FDA revised its rulings and re-implemented its regulations on vaping devices. On the latest article published by FDA, Vaporizers, E-Cigarettes, and other Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS), it is stated that the sale of “vapes, vaporizers, e-cigarettes, hookah pens” and other similar regulated devices require buyers to be at (or over) the age of 21. The actual “pen” in the dab pen can be ruled as a vaping device and therefore require purchasers to follow the new ruling.
You need to be 21 or older to purchase a dab pen across all states.
Q: What Happens if you get caught with a dab pen?
A: The answer depends entirely on which state you are in. While many states have begun to adopt the decriminalization of medical cannabis, there are still strict rules that govern the use and possession of both paraphernalia and the actual product derivative of cannabis. What happens to you when caught with a dab pen depends on the amount of concentrated cannabis in it as well as your age.
In California for example, those over the age of 21 and are caught with more than eight grams of concentrated cannabis, you can be charged with a misdemeanor offense with up to six months of time and a $500 fine. However, those who are in possession of a dab pen, under the age of 21, with any amount of wax concentrates in them can be charged with an infraction.
In Virginia, possession of a dab pen with cannabis concentrate in it that contains above 12% THC merits a felony offense with 10 years of time, a $2,500 fine, with a six-month license suspension, and probation. Anything below 12% of THC in your dabs merits you with misdemeanor charges with 30 days of time for your first offense and up to 12 months of time for your second and succeeding offenses.
In New Jersey, possession of a dab pen with less than an ounce of concentrated dabs in it can put you up against a fourth-degree indictable offense with 18 months of time, a $15,000 fine, a six-month license suspension, and a criminal record. On the other hand, possession of a dab pen with under 50 grams of concentrated wax puts you up for six months of time, a $1,000 fine, a six-month license suspension, and a criminal record.
That said, different states will have different penalties for possession of wax concentrate paraphernalia and concentrated cannabis or dabs.
