Is Dabbing Dangerous?

What is Dabbing?

In short, to ‘dab’ is to vaporise and inhale highly concentrated cannabis concentrates, often called ‘wax’, ‘dabs’, ‘shatter’ or ‘honey’.

The intent in dabbing is to get high (as they say in stoner-speak) by consuming the plant in a short period of time and with a much greater psychoactive effect. Dabbers also assert that concentrates are a purer form of consumption than a dry, unprocessed herb such as a joint, because cannabis concentrates reject all plant material to oftentimes preserve only the desirable chemicals.

The chemical compounds unique to the cannabis plant are called cannabinoids. There are other chemical components of the cannabis plant that are not cannabinoids.

However, the most common and, arguably, the most well-known, are the three major psychoactive cannabinoids of the plant – THC, THCA and CBD. THC is the most psychoactive compound and the primary psychoactive cannabinoid. CBD is the second most psychoactive compound; however, CBD is deemed non-psychoactive.

There are also several other cannabinoids that contain a range of psychoactive and non-psychoactive chemicals, such as THCV and CBG. Just a few decades ago, in the 1970s and ’80s, regular, dried marijuana flower was no more than 5 per cent THC, but today’s typical weed averages between 15 and 25 per cent, depending on the growing and genetic selection techniques.

By comparison, cannabis concentrates can contain anywhere between 80 to 92 per cent THC.

This is why dabbing is much stronger when compared with joint or bong-smoking: a single dab hit could have the same effect for the smoker as anywhere from smoking four to five joints from greenery.

How Dabbing Works

To understand how dabbing works, we should first look at what cannabis concentrates are and how they are made. A cannabis concentrate is any product that is created by collecting trichomes from a cannabis plant flower – the trichomes being the crystalline, sticky little hairs on the surface of the cannabis flower.

The trichomes are the most valued part of the cannabis plant because that’s where all of its cannabinoids are stored.

More than just cannabinoids, these trichomes are covered in other aromatic compounds called terpenes, which vary between strains, resulting in a different aroma, taste and psychophysical effects. Making concentrates can be achieved in two ways:

• Solvent-based extraction: This method uses a solvent such as butane, propane, or carbon dioxide to dissolve the trichomes and extract them. Examples of solvent-based concentrates include Butane Hash Oil (BHO), Rick Simpson Oil (RSO), and CO2 wax.
• Non-solvent extraction: This method physically separates the trichomes from the plant material. Examples include kief, rosin, dry sift, ice water hash, and bubble hash.

Once the cannabis concentrate is ready, the consumer vaporizes it using dabbing equipment or paraphernalia. This equipment may include heated knives or specialized dabbing equipment such as dab pens or dab rigs. The concentrate, once heated, produces vapors that the consumer inhales to feel its effects.

What is a Dab Pen?

Dabbing Side Effects

Because of dabbing, there’s no shortage of side effects. Yet, considering how they’re made and what they’re actually laced with, some could be far more severe than the side effects from other forms of cannabis.

Generally, health professionals have segregated the side effects of dabbing into the ‘physical’ and the ‘psychological’, and we’ll go over them both here to help you be informed.

Physical Symptoms

Common physical symptoms of dabbing may include:

• Sedation
• Strong and spontaneous body sensations
• Increased heart rate
• Decreased blood pressure
• Dry mouth
• Insomnia
• Vasodilation
• Bronchodilation

Psychological Symptoms

Common psychological symptoms of dabbing include:

• Anxiety
• Anhedonia
• Euphoria
• Delusions
• Depersonalization and Derealization
• Extreme Paranoia
• Psychosis.
• Blackouts
• Visual and Auditory Hallucinations

Note that a dab user may not experience all of these side effects at once or all the time; some effects such as insomnia are highly dose-dependent, whereas others such as hallucinations and psychosis more frequently occur in those at risk of disorders such as schizophrenia.

Dangers of Dabbing Wax

Broadly speaking, there are three major types of dangers associated with dabbing wax:

• Health Effects: These include the side effects mentioned above. Although cannabis is not physically addictive the same way other drugs like alcohol, opiates, and benzodiazepines are, it can nonetheless lead to psychological dependence. This mental addiction is especially prevalent in those prone to substance abuse disorders.
• Manufacture and Production: Butane is a highly volatile and explosive chemical that can cause devastating explosions from even a tiny spark. There are many documented instances of individuals accidentally blowing up their houses from butane explosions during the BHO concentrate manufacturing process. Even the best-case scenario in such situations leads to severe third-degree burns.
• Consumption and Use: Finally, the process of dabbing itself can be dangerous. Dab rigs utilize glass water pipes which the users have to heat with blow torches at high temperatures. The user may sustain accidental burns in the process or inhale harmful gasses. This risk is even more concerning given most users’ impaired physical and mental state as they dab, which may lead to safety negligence.

Long Term Health Effects of Dabbing

There hasn’t been any definitive research yet on the long-term effects of dabbing on health, and lung damage due to excessive dabbing is purely circumstantial (or as I like to say, ‘totally anecdotal’).

But with so many scorpion tails floating around, it doesn’t take much to assume that some devout devotees of the latest wave are truly damaging their pipes with too much dabbing. And if not the dabbing per se, lung damage is probably caused by the sheer extreme temperature that rises during the process of heating the chemical compounds infused in solvent-based concentrates.

It’s common for long-term dab rig users to complain of rips and sharp pains in the chest area; it’s a pretty common occurrence to see an acute coughing fit with dabs and, more often than not, the expelled substance is a thick and tar-like mucus. It is indeed possible that this is all linked to the process of dabbing.

Portland State University scientists have reported on how dabbing may have some overall health effect on people who do it over the long term, many of whom inhale toxic chemical compounds along with the dabbing process.

In this 2017 study, the PSU authors published a study suggesting that dabbing might have some harmful health effects from oxidative stress and the proliferation of reactive oxygen molecules in the bloodstream.

Is Dabbing Dangerous?

Ultimately, to dab or not to dab, the choice is yours. As the saying goes: let the buyer beware.

Links to sources used in this article:

https://www.sunjournal.com/2021/12/20/butane-exploded-during-drug-processing-injured-auburn-man-and-made-home-uninhabitable/
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/acsomega.7b01130

Note: This article is provided by Botany Farms for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. The content is intended to offer insights into the practice of dabbing and the use of cannabis concentrates, reflecting current knowledge and research within these areas. It is not aimed at diagnosing, treating, curing, or preventing any diseases or health conditions. As the legal status of cannabis varies across different regions, it is the responsibility of the reader to be informed about their local laws regarding cannabis use. Botany Farms advises all readers to consult with a healthcare professional before making any decisions about cannabis consumption to understand fully the potential risks and benefits. Botany Farms and the authors of this content disclaim all liability for any adverse effects that may arise from the use of information provided in this article.