Dab

Definition

2016 was (unofficially) the Year of the Dab. Yes, the act of ‘dabbing’ as a way to consume cannabis had been around for over a decade, but only with recent advances in the production of cannabis concentrates has it become so widespread.

A dab is essentially an extremely concentrated dose of cannabis, made by extracting certain cannabinoids (mainly THC), and consists of a kind of sticky oil. There is some division in the cannabis community about the consumption of dabs (commonly referred to as BHO, or butane hash oil). Much of this division is based on the method of producing BHO, which involves butane, and can be dangerous if not done properly. Another factor is the method of consuming dabs. This often involves some kind of blowtorch or heating device, which draws the comparison to smoking crack for a lot of the public who are unfamiliar with cannabis.

However, when prepared by a professional, and consumed in a safe way, dabs are an excellent way for patients to receive their medication quickly and is perfect for those patients who require higher doses in which case smoking regular unprocessed cannabis would be unfeasible.

It is important to note that when consuming dabs, even a seemingly small amount can make the user feel uncomfortably high, and in some cases, users have been known to pass out after consuming a lot of dabs.