Dabbing Weed: A Guide To Your First Marijuana Dab

This article was originally published on The Fresh Toast and appears here with permission.

Not for the newbie, dabbing is for the experienced user.

Like tequila – there are beginners and experienced drinkers….each having their own journey.  In the cannabis world, you have people who microdose gummies and those who want a deeper, stronger experience by dabbing. Dabbing is thought to produce a greater high than smoking marijuana. Compared to other marijuana consumption methods, dabbing delivers one of the quickest highs. It also tends to produce a stronger high, since the THC is more concentrated.  Here is a guide to your first marijuana dab.

What You Need

The technology of dabbing is changing quickly, with more and more ancillary products promising more effectiveness, greater ease, or lower cost. But, essentially, if you are going to dab on a regular basis, you will need to purchase some new tools:

• The concentrate: Whether it is wax, honey, shatter, budder, crumble or BHO, this is the THC-rich product. It is highly recommended you purchase the concentrate from a licensed, tested retailer. There is a lot of black market wax out there that is full of residual contaminants from processing. The raw material needs to be high quality — which does not mean high in THC, it means well made. Start small. A small dose looks no larger than a crumb. If you need more, go for a second dab. But it’s better to be cautious when it comes to dosage.
• Dabber: The dabber looks like a small poker. Typically, the dabber is made of metal glass or ceramic and is used to apply the concentrate to the nail. With the dabber, take a small amount of the concentrate and keep it on the tip of the dabber.
• Dab rig: Dab rigs, also known as oil rigs, are basically glass water pipes (bongs) used for vaporizing extracts, oils, and concentrates. Like bongs found at head shops, there are sorts of sizes, shapes and colors. You will use the rig to inhale the fumes after lighting the nail.
• Nail: The nail fits inside the gauge of your rig (or water pipe). Most experts swear by the nails made of high-quality titanium, but there are also ceramic nails and quartz nails. Glass nails are out there, but are a bit tricky.
• A dome (or carb cap): There are some “domeless nails” on the market, that do not require a carb cap, but most standard nails need a dome to trap the vapor. Essentially, all the dome does is limit the amount of airflow inside the rig, allowing for the vapor to be inhaled rather than vanish in thin air.
• A torch: Have you ever used a crème brulee torch? Well, if you have then you will be able to use a dab torch. A butane cigar lighter or something like that is simply not powerful enough for a dab. The torch is used to heat the nail to extreme temperatures. The goal is a red-hot nail in a short amount of time.
• Butane: You’ll need butane to refill the torch.

Step-By-Step

1. Sit Down: Dabbing is best while sitting down. Get comfortable on a couch or chair. Have all the tools arranged in front of you.
2. Heat Nail: Turn on the butane torch. Once you have properly adjusted the flame, heat the nail until it begins turning a medium shade or red.
3. Dome It: Once the nail is red-hot, turn off the torch — the last thing you need is to accidentally start a fire. Turning off the torch is important. Now the nail is ready, place the carb cap or dome over the nail.
4. turn off your torch and place the glass dome over the nail. It’s recommended to let titanium nails cool for about 10 seconds and quartz nails for about 45 seconds so the surface temperature isn’t too hot.
5. Apply Dab: After the nail is domed or covered, count to 1o to let the nail cool just a little. Put the dabber in your dominant hand and touch the dabber on the hot nail. You will see white vapor (it looks like smoke, but it’s vapor) collecting inside the dome. Slowly inhale. Rotate the tip of the dabber on the nail until the concentrate is gone.
6. Exhale: Stay seated for a few minutes. Drink a glass of water. Enjoy the experience. And thank your dab buddy.

7. This article is from an external unpaid contributor. It does not represent Benzinga's reporting and has not been edited for content or accuracy.