Marijuana Dabbing: What Is It and Is It Dangerous?

There are many ways to use marijuana: you can smoke a joint, eat it in baked goods, smoke it from a glass bowl, use a bong, and smoke it from a water bong just to name a few. Dabbing is a new way of ingesting cannabis that involves highly concentrated preparations, known as dabs or butane hash oil (BHO). The dabs are hard, wax-like made by extracting THC, the active ingredient in marijuana, from cannabis through a process that uses butane gas as the solvent. Dabs can also be made with extraction methods that involve CO2 or ice water.

20

Dabs are popular amongst pot users because of the high levels of THC—70-90%–much more than you’ll find in the cannabis flower. Dabs are sometimes called butane honey oil, budder, shatter or wax and are becoming more and more popular even though there are some risks involved with ingesting marijuana by this method.

Dabbing is popularly known as the most efficient way to get high and because of the high concentration of THC, just a very small amount of BHO is needed to achieve the desired effects. Some people are referring to dabs as the “crack” of the marijuana world. Some say dabbing provides a very potent, different type of high, and most dabbers are experienced marijuana users who have developed a tolerance to THC. Dabbing is not recommended for novice marijuana users and should be done with caution even with the most experienced pot users.

Dabbing Risks and Precautions

The most well known risks of dabbing involve the process of making BHO. Several accidents have already occurred when pot users have tried making BHO in their homes. Butane is highly flammable, so improper production can lead to explosions, fires, serious injury and/or death.

Since dabbing is so new, there is not a whole lot of information out there about the health effects of dabbing; however, a 2014 paper published by University of Albany researchers highlights a number of possible risks of dabbing, including a higher possibility of developing marijuana tolerance and withdrawal symptoms.

If you’re an experienced marijuana user, please do research about dabbing before undertaking this risky procedure. Even if you have a great deal of experience in the cannabis business, dabbing is new and not a lot is known about this way of ingesting marijuana at this time. If you are a bud tender in Denver, please contact Ms. Mary Staffing to learn about employment opportunities in this area.