California is one of the leading cannabis states in the United Sates, with several counties hosting legal dispensaries and regulations. Many people enjoy using dab rigs at dab events, so being able to buy a dab rig is an easy way to start.
Many brands offer starter kits that include a nail, tool, and paper cup, all of which you can replace and upgrade as your experience needs. A popular way to receive kit updates is by joining an email list and receiving occasional notifications.
The history of dabs
The history of dab goes back a long ways. A lot of these early attempts at dabs were unsuccessful, and sometimes, users would use hash oil as a base.
Many times, users would mix the oil with wax or powdered sugar to create a paste. Then, they could spread it on their dab tool and hit the glass with a Heater or K-Tip.
This was not for any fault of the user, however- many times the dosage was too small or it did not stick well enough to the glass. Other times, it did not taste good enough or was too expensively priced.
How to perform a dab
The first step in performing a dab is to get your hands dirty. You can do this by either using a paper dab kit or by making your own.
The way to make a paper dab kit is to buy some blank sheets of paper, cut them into quarters and then squares. Then, roll each square into a tight tube and then push down the top to create the oven-baked effect.
Once you have made your own kit, you can use one per session or over the course of the day!
To make your own homemade dabbing tools, you need to choose whether you want flat, rounded or concave tips.
Choose your oil
When smoking tobacco, the main ingredient is clay. There are many brands of clay cigarette rolling papers, so you can choose one if not!
Instead of smoking a cigarette, users break it into pieces and create a smoke using the rolling paper. The tobacco is then placed in the bottom of the tube and covered with some sort of liquid or dust to hold it together.
The liquid or dust can be nicotine, flavorings, or a trusted compound. When smoked, the combination can produce an intense smell and taste like something rich and strong but sweet.
Cannabis oil differs from traditional cannabis remedies in that there is no use of a clay pipe or spoon to obtain your oil. Instead, users simply get their hands dirty and apply some petroleum jelly or butter to extract the oil.
Choose your rig
When it comes to choosing a dab rig, there are three main parts you will need to put together. The barrel which is the base of your dab rig, the nail or chandelier to hold the bubbble and the lid or cap to hold in your concentrates.
Most people start out with a smoke ring style rig. These hold some of the plant material in place and allows for a bit of trial and error when setting up your chandelier. This is the most cost effective way to start off as you can buy many expensive chandellas for less than a $20 budget dab rig.
Then, people transition over to blow-day style rigs. In blow-day style rigs, both users take turns at controlling how much material they want to use per day. This allows for continued learning and development of each user.
Lastly, people use ensemble style rigs. These contain several pieces together making it very difficult to tell which piece is which person.
Lick the tip
When you inhale dab, your lungs must take a few seconds to process the vapor. This allows you to spread the flavor and scent of the concentrate over your breathing process.
Some people find that spreading the flavor and scent over a longer period of time is more enjoyable. For others, this is an aesthetic preference. Many see the dab as a special treat that deserves special treatment.
If you are new to dabbing, you should start with a smaller piece of material to get started.
Drop the oil
A new way to dab for beginners is to drop the oil. This means using a lower quality oil such as e-cocoa or pod-centered oil. These oils are generally less fragrant and less refined than pure coconut or hemp seed butter, respectively.
With this method, you still get some dabbing experience as the oils seep into the wax and create a slightly rich, buttery vapor. You also still can enjoy some solid efforts if you are willing to work with your material. For beginners, trying one of the more basic recipes is recommended.
The most important thing when using the drop the oil method is to always have quality butter or coconut oil available! Both must be roughly chopped and then melted and applied to the wax.
Hold it in your mouth
Most people start by taking a small amount of wax or hash, and then they hold the other side of the dab in their mouth. This is called taking a draw or hold.
The way to do this safely is to begin with low amounts of wax or hash, and then increase. The more you have, the more difficult it will be to control how much you take because it will be melt-able.
Most people learn by holding too many times with negative pressure- how much you take-type rules. Having a hard time learning how to take? Try having less expectations– if you don’t get what you want immediately, work harder the next day!
Also, remember that this is art, not science, so vary the amount of wax or hash according to what works best for you.
Spit out the oil when ready
When you are ready to dab, the best way to start is by spitting out the oil. This means that you carefully remove the doser from the device and then carefully spit out the oil.
Spit out the oil when it is hot enough to not smoke it. If you wait until it is cold, you may difficult to do a good job of cleaning the dab rig and getting a better hit.
Once you do this, then you can start to mix your wax and heating your water! This can be done in two steps: first, heat your water to boiling temperature, and then mix in your wax.
