What are dabs? This piece will provide a guide to dab marijuana concentrate and its use, as well as offer treatment opportunities.
What are Dabs?: An Introduction
The legalization of cannabis in many states has led to a rise in new products for the retail market.
Dabs are relatively new in the cannabis industry and are gaining popularity. Dab marijuana is doses of highly concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) meant to be smoked. The act of smoking dabs is called dabbing.
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Dabbing weed is made through a process that uses butane oil to extract plant oils from cannabis. The butane is poured over marijuana plants to extract the THC. The result is a semisolid product that is waxy or gummy.
Dab marijuana can be mixed into joints or smoked in pipes with natural cannabis. The dab can also be placed in a special heated device that vaporizes the wax to be inhaled. The dab high is more immediate and intense than traditional ways of smoking.
Slang for Dabs
Terms associated with dabbing include rosin, wax, crumble, budder, amber, shatter, wax dabs, and honeycomb.
Statistics on Dabs
Dabbing weed provides people with higher levels of THC. Depending on the plant strains used to make them, dabs can contain up to an 80% concentration of cannabinoids—THC, CBD, or both. Compare that to the 10% to 30% concentration of cannabinoids found in cannabis flowers.
Is Dabbing Marijuana Addictive?
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, recent data shows that up to 30% of individuals who use marijuana develop some degree of marijuana use disorder.1
Marijuana use disorder refers to the uncontrollable urge to use the drug despite its consequences. People who begin using cannabis before the age of eighteen are at a higher risk for developing marijuana use disorder than those who begin using marijuana in adulthood.
Impact of Dabbing Addiction
Some people believe that marijuana is not addictive, but there is no question that it can cause social, physical, and mental health problems. An estimated 48.2 million people in the U.S. used cannabis in 2019, making this drug the most used federally illegal substance. The Centers for Disease Control asserts that cannabis use disorder can lead to addiction as well as a host of other consequences.2
Researchers do not yet completely understand all of the adverse side effects of dabs on the body or dabbing effects on brain development, especially for young people whose brains are still maturing.3
Types of Dabbing Weed
Dab oil and dab wax are the two main categories of dabbing marijuana. Dab oil is a liquid and comes in different viscosities, typically sold in a vial. The consistency of dab wax is often indicated by its name, such as crumble, live resin, or shatter concentrate dabs.
Dab Wax
Budder dabs are the most popular form of dab wax. Budder holds its shape, is less sticky than other types of wax, and is easy to apply to the dabbing ring.
Marijuana dispensary dabs may have other names, but they are always identified as cannabis concentrates.
Synthetic Dabs
Synthetic dabs are made from hundreds of synthetic cannabinoid chemicals that pose additional health risks. Some people believe synthetic dabs are safe and legal, but this is not true—many synthetic cannabis products are illegal.
Some dangers of synthetic dabs include breathing problems, kidney failure, heart attacks, and muscle problems. The effects of synthetic dabbing on brain tissue and brain chemical production are still being researched.
What are Dabs? Deviced & Types
The two most common devices for dabbing are dab rigs and pens. These will be detailed below.
Dab Rig
Dabbing wax and dabbing oil can be smoked with a device called a dab rig or oil rig. Dab rigs are similar to bongs and include a platform (often called a “nail”) where the dab is placed after being heated with a torch lighter. Once placed on the heated nail, the dab begins to vaporize and is inhaled.
Dab Pen
People can also use a dab pen or vaporizer pen to smoke dab marijuana. Unlike dab rigs, a dab pen does not require a torch lighter because it has an internal heating element that vaporizes the dab wax almost instantly. Vaporizers can be used for dabbing THC oil and all types of dab wax, including shatter concentrate dabs.
The effects of a dab pen high and a dab high from a rig are similar because they both require the drug to be inhaled. However, many people prefer the dab pen high because the process is faster and does not require accessories, such as a torch lighter.
What Are the Dangers of Dabbing?
Dab concentrate is up to five times stronger than unprocessed marijuana. As a result, people may take in dose levels of between 60 mg and 100 mg of THC at one time.
Such high doses cause an abnormally large release of dopamine, depleting the brain’s neurotransmitters and leading to quicker dependency. A study published in Addictive Behaviors revealed that dabs led to a higher THC tolerance and more severe withdrawal symptoms.4
Concerns about the long-term effects of processing chemicals, such as butane, are also among the dangers of dabbing.
Side Effects of Smoking Dabs
Potential side effects of smoking dabs include the following:
Heart disease
Increased risk of stroke
Cardiovascular disease
Depression
Disorientation
Paranoia
Higher risk of using other substances
Damage to lung tissues
Potential harmful effects to a fetus if used during pregnancy
Impaired driving
Poor memory
Higher blood pressure
Changes in sensory perception
Long-term impacts on brain health
Panic attacks
Connection Between Anxiety and Smoking Dabs
Connection Between Anxiety and Smoking Dabs
Smoking dabs and anxiety, especially social anxiety, may be closely connected, as drug use often leads to isolation from people and activities.
Dabs Marketed Towards a Younger Demographic
Because of its high concentration of THC and the fact that dab wax is marketed to younger people, smoking dabs and cannabis use disorder are more common in adolescents and young adults.
Increased Dab Use
People who engage in dabbing may believe they adjust their use based on the strength of the marijuana. However, there are too many variations in potency to fully compensate for the higher concentration or determine the full health effects of dabbing
Can You Overdose on Dabs Drugs?
Unlike opioids and some other substances, dab overdose symptoms are not fatal. Nevertheless, whether dabbing THC oil or shatter concentrate dabs, the side effects of smoking dabs is still a real concern.
Dab overdose Indications
Dab overdose symptoms include:
Anxiety
Hallucinations
Hypotension (increased heart rate and blood pressure)
Nausea and vomiting
Panic attacks
Paranoia
Impact of Dab Overdose
A dab overdose can make people sick and cause unknown side effects that may not be recognized for years.
Dabbing affects the heart, lungs, mental health, and cognitive function. When weighing the pros and cons of smoking wax concentrates and other dabs drug products, remember that there is still much that researchers do not know about the accumulated side effects of smoking dabs.
Overcome Marijuana Addiction With Treatment at Ripple Ranch
If you’re concerned about your dabs drug use or worried that someone you know is oil dabbing or using shatter wax dabs, reach out to Ripple Ranch today. We provide comprehensive addiction treatment established on evidence-based therapiesproven to help individuals struggling with substance use disorders.
