How to Harden Dabs

Dabbing is the common term for smoking or vaping concentrated cannabis. While it has been around for nearly a decade, there are still some uncertainties as to how to “dab weed” and how to perform this technique. TWB has posted about dabs and how to take a dab before, but we wanted to give you the lowdown on different ways to do dabs so you can decide which method is the best for you.

What is the Best Way to Dab?

The best way to do dabs is a matter of personal preference, although many dab enthusiasts agree that using a nice glass dab rig with a quartz banger is one of the best ways to taste dabs upon inhalation. You also need to factor in the best way to do dabs if you aren’t at home, and perhaps a portable dab rig is a better choice. Some cannabis consumers prefer cannabis concentrates over cannabis flower, and this is generally because concentrates are more potent. The potency of cannabis concentrates is typically between 70% and 90% THC content and contains no dead plant matter. With the heightened popularity of dabs in recent years due to more widespread cannabis legalization and law change for both recreational (adult-use) and medical marijuana, the increased attention is being put on consumption methods…

So What’s The Big Deal?

Dabbing is a big deal because the wax or shatter that you use is a concentrated form of the buds you buy at your local dispensary. And by concentrated, we mean really high in THC or CBD. How high exactly? Anywhere from two to four times over regular bud.

Depending on the strain used to start, wax can clock in at 50-90% THC (or CBD). Even the strongest strain only hits around 25%. So you can see why dabbing is such a big deal: You can get seriously high with just one or two hits.

Why Choose Wax Over Other Concentrates?

We’ve mentioned that there are several types of concentrates you can use when dabbing. We like wax over shatter for several reasons:

Wax is easier to produce.
Wax is easier to handle.
Wax is easier to measure.
Wax is easier to use.

We’re not saying we wouldn’t dab with shatter. We’re just saying that if we had the choice, we’d go with wax first because of the reasons mentioned above.

So now that you know everything there is to know about dabbing, dabs, and wax, let’s talk a bit about how wax is made. Then we’ll show you a simple recipe for how to make dabs in your own kitchen.

Best Way to Smoke Wax

Aside from dabbing, you can smoke cannabis wax if you place it right on top of your ground cannabis flower in your bowl or pipe. You can also use a method called “T-Waxing” or “twaxing”, where you can take the wax and mix it with ground cannabis flower, creating ‘twax’.

Then you can roll it up in a joint, or even drip it around the edge creating a “twaxed” joint (or pre roll). When rolled with flower, the dab will burn slower, making it perfect to share.

Best Way to Smoke Concentrates

The best way to smoke concentrates is a matter of personal preference, but most cannabis enthusiasts prefer dabbing. Dabbing offers a cleaner, more potent hit, delivers a stronger taste from the concentrate, and allows for an almost immediate onset of effect. You can also consume cannabis concentrates through cartridges and tinctures, although those forms of concentrates are different than the ones you would use to dab weed.

What do I Need to Smoke Dabs?

You can smoke dabs with a dab rig and torch, an electric nail (e-nail), or a variety of dab pens and other electric vaporizers made for dabbing cannabis concentrates. Each of these products have their own unique set of accessories and supplies needed, and it really up to your personal preference for how you want to do dabs. A dab rig or e-nail is generally better for an at home set up, while a dab pen works better for doing dabs when you are out and about. There are lots of different ways to smoke dabs.

Different Ways to Smoke Dabs

With a dab rig and torch or with an electric nail (e-nail)
With a dab pen you can pre fill with your dabs
Pre-filled vape cartridges for various vape pens (cartridge screws on to vape pen battery)
Broken apart and laid on or crumbled on top of a bowl of cannabis flower (in a pipe, bong, etc)
In a joint or blunt by twaxing it (putting the wax in or around the joint or blunt)
Using a nectar collector (a glass product that utilizes a torch just like a dab rig, but is closer to the size of a pipe)

How Do You Properly Hit a Dab?

Before you take your dab, prepare your dab rig. The rig consists of these components; oil rig, torch, nail and wand. Put your “dab” of preferred cannabis concentrate on the wand. Then, heat the nail (or banger) with the torch and once hot, use the wand to dab the concentrate on to the banger and inhale.

Proper Dabbing Technique

Heat your nail with a torch until the nail is visibly hot
Take your glass dome and place it over the nail.
Allow the nail to cool for 10-45 seconds depending on what kind of concentrate you are dabbing
Take your wand (or other dab tool) and apply the concentrate inside the nail
Slowly inhale through the mouthpiece as you move the dab tool around on the nail to get your whole dab of concentrate on there
Exhale and enjoy!

Can You Put Shatter in a Dab Pen?

You can put shatter, wax, crumble or almost any hardened or semi-hardened cannabis concentrate in a dab pen. How much you can put in and how long it will last you will depend on the dab pen you are using. You cannot put any liquid cannabis concentrates in a dab pen chamber. But, some dab pens have the option of taking the dab chamber off of the battery and then screwing a pre-filled vape cartridge on to the battery, so long as it is compatible.

Whichever method you decide upon, one of these popular methods will be the better choice. Then all you have to do is decide what type of concentrate you want, shatter, crumble, wax or oil, and in a short matter of time your dabbing experience will be under way.