Dab

Dabbing emerged from cannabis culture in the late 2000s as concentrate production techniques (BHO extraction, rosin pressing) made high-potency cannabis oils widely available. The traditional dab setup: a glass water pipe (dab rig) with a quartz, titanium, or ceramic "banger" or "nail" that fits the joint; a butane torch to heat the banger; a "dabber" tool to apply concentrate; a "carb cap" that traps vapor over the cooling concentrate for complete vaporization. The technique: heat the banger to 700-900°F with the torch, allow it to cool to 450-550°F (the optimal vaporization range), apply a small amount of concentrate (rice-grain size for beginners), inhale slowly through the water pipe while rotating the carb cap to direct airflow. Modern alternatives reducing the torch hassle: e-rigs with electric heating elements (Puffco Peak, Dr. Dabber Switch) maintain consistent temperatures without torches; e-nails are temperature-controlled coils that wrap around quartz bangers; portable concentrate vape pens offer dab-like effects without rig setup. Effect intensity: a typical dab delivers 50-150mg+ of cannabinoids per inhalation, compared to 5-15mg from a single hit of flower. This produces immediate intense effects suitable for high-tolerance users and medical patients with severe symptoms but easily overwhelming for novices. Concentrate categories used for dabbing: BHO (butane hash oil) including shatter, wax, badder, crumble; solventless concentrates including hash, kief, rosin, live rosin; CO2-extracted oils; distillate (highest THC concentrations 90%+); live resin (terpene-preserved concentrates). Dabbing requires careful temperature control — dabs above 750°F vaporize cannabinoids at the cost of harsh smoke and degraded terpenes; "low-temp dabs" at 450-550°F preserve flavor and produce smoother vapor. Dabbing is the most efficient cannabis consumption method by cannabinoid mass per inhalation but also the most intense and least beginner-friendly.