[Thomas Paine]

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly Sides to Dabbing
By: Rachel Chambers 10/28/2013
LEAFLY.COM

If you’re involved with cannabis at all, whether recreationally, medically, or from a business standpoint, then you either know about or have probably heard of “dabbing.” This method of consumption has been around for at least a decade, but the advent of more advanced extraction methods have led to a flood of cannabis concentrates that have boosted dabbing’s popularity.

A dab usually refers to a dose of concentrate that is heated on a hot surface, usually a nail, and then inhaled. It doesn't sound so controversial in those terms, but “blasting dabs” has become a dividing point within the community both because of the intense high that it produces and for the image that it presents to outsiders.

While there are valid concerns to be addressed about the safety of the production and potency of popular concentrates, this new trend isn't all bad. Here’s the breakdown on the issues surrounding dabs and how it might actually be a good thing for the legalization movement.

The Basics
Dabs are doses of cannabis concentrates that used to mostly refer to butane hash oil (or BHO), but has grown to include a variety of other concentrates such as wax, shatter, budder, or even “errl,” which is a playful meme-derived way of saying oil. These concentrates can be up to 80% THC, the active psychoactive compound in cannabis, but usually range between 50 and 75%.

More research is needed to determine exactly how much, but other compounds in cannabis, including other cannabinoids and terpenes, are also extracted in the process. The high concentration of THC, though, is most likely what’s behind the potent effects of dabs, making them the fastest, most efficient way to get really, really medicated.

The Bad and the Ugly
Let’s start with the bad news first: dabbing can be dangerous. Actually, it’s the extraction that can be dangerous.The process can be tricky, but thanks to online forums and videos, many amateur "scientists" think they have mastered the technique enough to try it on their own. In cases when things go well, the product is probably still pretty poor. When things go bad, houses blow up. A few explosions by ignorant DIYers and suddenly cannabis is being talked about in the same cautionary terms as meth. That’s not good.

Additionally, the actual process of dabbing can look quite scary. Glass bongs and oddly-named substances being heated with blow torches have led to the comparison that dabs are the “crack” of pot. It’s not that BHO has any similarity to these harsher drugs, but to the uninitiated, unless it’s a baked Alaska, lighting something with a torch never looks tasteful. While this is a matter of choice for most consumers, there are fears that dabbing’s ugly looks may hurt the legalization movement.

Another side effect of these home extraction experiments is “dirty” oil that may contain chemical contaminants that could present health hazards to consumers. If the concern is butane, the dangers are most likely minimal since it already occurs in everyday products such as scent and flavor extracts. Whether or not the equipment used in the extraction process is adding additional contaminants is a more viable issue. When done correctly, these extras can be avoided, so as is the case with growing cannabis, it’s best to leave it to those who know what they’re doing.

One of the most unsettling facts about dabs is that thanks to the super-concentrated power of BHO, for the first time it seems possible to “overdose” on cannabis. While still not lethal, taking more than your personal limit of dabs can lead to uncomfortable highs and, in some cases, passing out. After all of the chanting that “you can’t overdose on marijuana,” concentrates could be undermining advocates’ message of safety. There have also been reports of more intense withdrawal symptoms for dabbers, but again, the information is limited.

The Good
The biggest positive of concentrates are that they give a powerful dose of medicine to those who truly need it. Patients dealing with severe or chronic pain or extreme nausea report that dabbing can be one of the best ways to get immediate and effective relief. The amount of flowers that would have to be smoked or vaporized to get the same effect is just unfeasible for some patients who need potent medicine quickly.

Yes, the safety issues associated with making extracts are real, but they can be easily controlled in a professional environment. Professional extractors eschew the dangerous “open” extraction method that can be done at home and instead choose closed extraction, which is safer but requires more sophisticated equipment. Also, there are other extraction methods, such as CO2 or ice-water extraction, that are also safer and reduce or remove the possibility of explosions.

The relationship between concentrates and technology is symbiotic with the product in need of more research and testing that labs are excitedly advancing technology to meet. Because the industry is expanding and more and more producers are improving and upgrading their methods, it seems most likely that these homemade disasters will remain anomalies. As more places that can legally sell concentrates emerge, there will be less of a need to make your own (though intrepid home chemists will probably still exist).

Technology is also probably going to lead to less dabbing in the future, anyway. Improvements in vaporizers mean that more people are using these “no-torch necessary” products to heat their oils. Conveniently, this is the most publicity-friendly path for concentrates to go.

One of the more surprising side effects of the dabbing trend is that it has created an interest in activism in the community’s younger members. Industry events such as the Cannabis Cup, which used to focus on flowers, have also become proving grounds for the best concentrates and extraction experts. Most popular among consumers in their twenties, dabs are under the same legislative crackdown as other forms of cannabis, and more activists are starting to get involved.

While dabbing may be going through its awkward phase, overall, concentrates have much to offer patients and cannabis consumers in the future, and dabs are just one option among many.

https://www.leafly.com/news/lifestyle...or-bad-or-both

[paladin420]

The good.
Pain relief with clarity and motivation
The Bad.
Yeah the smoken crack (free base) thing
The Ugly
Bho morons who blow shit up.
Btw that's prob who hit you with the unhelpful's... Morons any way

[TheCleanGame]

Cannabis Hyperemesis is also coming about due partly to dabbing. Also from concentrate based edibles.

CBD is the main anti-nausea cannabinoid in cannabis and the mainstream cannabis strains that are so popular today are seriously lacking in CBD. Using extreme amounts of THC (dabbing) without any CBD to counteract it gets you extremely high... it can also cause uncontrollable vomiting (Hyperemesis) when enough is used.

Dronabinol (Marinol) and the synthetic 'Spice' drugs are having the same effect in high doses because they too are lacking CBD.

Fun, eh?

Balance is gooooood! lol

Keep it Clean!

the good, gets ya zooted fast
the bad, i almost die after each dab
the ugly, me puking off the deck after each dab

[sadpanda]

i recently saw this video by Dr Deborah Malka giving a pro-cannabis talk in Israel. While she's pro-smoking, and even discusses the study that found pot smokers get less lung cancer than non-smokers, it seems she's quite concerned by the potential dangers of dabbing specifically - "the only time that i've ever seen cannabis toxicity in any patient", which she mentions @ 8:25 ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?featur...nmQ_cgbk#t=505

Originally Posted by Dr Deborah Malka

"I don't know if they have dabbing here in Israel, but this is a very dangerous method... and that's when you put very concentrated oil onto a hot glass tip and inhale it... it is the only time that i've ever seen cannabis toxicity in any patient... with some young people that are dabbing every hour or every two hours they have such a high concentration in their blood that they really get sick"

It isn't clear however (to me) if the toxicity issue she's talking about is in regards to solvents like the butane from BHO, or if she's purely talking about concentrated oil... but dabbing specifically her concern

[SkyHighLer]

I posted a reply to Dr. Deborah Malta's presentation here,
https://www.icmag.com/ic/showpost.ph...&postcount=135

Get it, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise, butane isn't toxic!!!

"Effects and health issues:

Inhalation of butane can cause euphoria, drowsiness, narcosis, asphyxia, cardiac arrhythmia, fluctuations in blood pressure and temporary memory loss, when abused directly from a highly pressurized container, and can result in death from asphyxiation and ventricular fibrillation. Butane is the most commonly misused volatile substance in the UK, and was the cause of 52% of solvent related deaths in 2000.[14] By spraying butane directly into the throat, the jet of fluid can cool rapidly to −20 °C (−4 °F) by expansion, causing prolonged laryngospasm. "Sudden sniffer's death" syndrome, first described by Bass in 1970, is the most common single cause of solvent related death, resulting in 55% of known fatal cases.

A small amount of nitrogen dioxide, a toxic gas, results from burning butane gas, along with any combustion in the earth's atmosphere, and represents a human health hazard from home heaters and stoves." https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butane..._health_issues

Gram dabbing... lol, https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...aking+huge+dab

[Hashmasta-Kut]

canabis toxicity she said.

And i have been saying that for over a decade Sky, its basic common knowledge, easily obtained.

[vapeorbong]

the good : NO black resin mess or ashes, better lung health,etc., the list goes on.....

the bad: ?

The ugly: the angry faces of anti-cannabis lunatics watching our movement prosper

[Gizmo]

Originally Posted by SkyHighLer

Gram dabbing... lol, https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...aking+huge+dab

lol

before : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tkcO0ojwBoU

after : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtNlnyOVb3I

[Hashmasta-Kut]

Back before anyone did a gram dab of BHO, i did a .7, and I didn't cough at all(back before we called it dabs even). That guy was a pussy in that video Gizmo!