How do “dab rigs” work?

Dabbing is a method of applying extract to heated fingernails and inhaling the vapor through a piece of glass. Dabbing is a popular way to obtain highly concentrated phytocannabinoids, but the learning curve associated with heating dabbing equipment, safety concerns, and demand for equipment make it a less accessible option for novices. In many ways, dabbing is much healthier than smoking because it contains fewer carcinogens.

Dabs are particularly potent and best suited for experienced consumers. Depending on the potency and quality of the product, 40-60 mg of THC is absorbed into the brain with each dab. An important caveat is to not hold back on the dab hit and to exhale as soon as the breath is taken, as the influx of THC dramatically lowers blood pressure and holding the breath at the same time can cause the consumer to pass out due to lack of oxygen to the brain, commonly referred to as “puff, puff, pass out.”

In vaporizers and other tools that rely on conduction to heat cannabis into an ingestible form, it is placed on a hot plate and heated to a very specific temperature. When dabbing, the hot plate in this scenario is a nail that is heated to a very high temperature using a blow torch or heated internally through an automatic dabbing rig. The nails are typically heated to about 482°C to 538°C (900°F to 1000°F), and when wax or other concentrates are dropped onto these nails, they burn at a very rapid rate. Dabbing requires careful practice and is generally quite dangerous due to the nature of the tools, temperature, and volatile consumables. Beginners should consider alternative methods.