According to Live Science, dabbing is the new trend of smoking marijuana. Users inhale the vapor coming from concentrated cannabis, which is made through an extraction process using butane.
In the cannabis world, butane hash, honeycomb, budder, earwax and so many other names refer to dabs.
Fanatics revealed that dabs are more potent than traditional marijuana forms. For one, they contain higher amounts of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) than regular cannabis has.
What Is a Dab?
It refers to a concentrate serving/dose, which is then heated on a nail or a hot surface. Patients and users inhale the concentrate through a rig, according to Cannabis Culture.
While that doesn’t sound an alarm, what does is the intense high that the concentrate can produce and the perception it gives to beginners and outsiders.
There are several types of dabs, according to High 5 Tours. The difference lies in the extraction methods. Usually, these concentrates are divided into two categories – the solvent-less and the solvent-based.
As the term implies, solvent-less concentrates don’t make use of a chemical, such as a hydrocarbon, in extraction. That’s why some people perceive it’s the healthier choice than solvent-based concentrate using butane, for instance.
Extracting cannabinoids, such as THC, produce dabs concentrate. It makes use of carbon dioxide as another alternative. Sticky oils, which are also called shatter, are the end product of such extraction method.
Is it possible to extract non-psychoactive compounds? Yes, it is, according to Leafly. However, THC is the reason for the potent effects of concentrates. It is also the motivation behind some people medicating with cannabis. They revealed medication with dabs due to THC’s fast and efficient delivery. It is not only the THC that can be extracted though. The flavor-giving aromatic oils or Terpenes can also be. However, much of them disappear due to volatility during extraction.
How Are Dabs Made?
Solvent-based
The trim or cannabis flowers are placed in a closed-loop system, usually a stainless steel column. The process is said to be safer because it is self-contained. A type of hydrocarbon, such as propane or butane is piped into the closed-loop device. While the solvent is working through the cannabis, it attaches to the cannabinoids.
Then, the product starts dripping down into a pan. When done, it is poured onto the parchment paper before going into a vacuum oven, which purges out any remaining solvent. Solvent-based concentrate extraction is the more common choice for making dabs.
Solvent-less
Unlike the solvent-based concentrate, this type is made only by using pressure and heat without butane or propane. Examples include dry-sift, ice wax, and Rosin.
Trim, dry-sift hash or cannabis flowers are taken before they’re put into a micron mesh bag. Next, put it in a heated press. Take note: The pressure/temperature varies per extractor. The end product is a chemical-free dab concentrate.
You can achieve the best results using top quality materials and large-scale presses. Alternatively, you can create a solvent-less dab with your choice bud, a parchment paper, and a hair straightener.
Alternative way of making a dab
Cold-water extraction: It is the oldest method, as published by Leaf Science. It makes use of bubble bags. Those looking to create a hash make use of the technique.
According to Perp of Cannabis.com, you can try the cheaper, safer and better yield method of producing a hash. It can be done by cold water extraction without the bubble bags by using a bag of ice, two buckets (one must be five gallons), filter (for straining the plant material), blender, coffee filters and dried trim.
Tip:
To get rid of the remaining solvent, you need purging with a vacuum oven or a vacuum chamber. For high-quality extracts, you need a vacuum oven and an extractor. You may also need a dab rig package/kit that you can easily find in any headshop online.
Dabbing is gaining traction in the cannabis world. Soon enough, more innovations are expected in this method of getting high from marijuana. For ways on how to make extracts from home, consider what we’ve discussed here.
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