Photo by Gia Oris on Unsplash

Unless you live under a rock you have noticed marijuana has evolved a lot in the last decade. Legalization, medicinal awareness, innovation and more are allowing us all to go from barely smoking it, to eat it, vape it, dab it, and even putting in on our skin.

Despite dabbing has been around for a while, it’s starting to get more traction with the arrival of vape pens that have provided an alternative to the traditional, and dangerous to say the least, process of heating a dab with a blow torch.

Because this is a beginners’ guide, we need to start with the basics.

What exactly are concentrates?

Extracts or concentrates, also known as dabs, are one of the more interesting ways to consume Cannabis. As the name hints you, extracts are small concentrations of the active ingredients found in cannabis, and the state can range from solid concentrates to liquid oil.

There are plenty of dab types; shatter, crumble, wax, budder, rosin, etc. The one you choose will respond to your preference and will have to consider the vaping device you want to use.

I went deep into the types of concentrates in this article, so feel free to visit to get a broader understanding. 

What’s the fuss about concentrates?

The popular reason is that they are a lot more potent than dry herb. However, the big deal with dabs has a few more draws.

• Flavour

  Terpenes are a big thing in concentrates. Thanks to the absence of the non-active components, concentrates tend to deliver a much stronger flavour. 
  
  

• Discretion

  Despite legalization in many countries and states, consuming Cannabis is not socially acceptable in all circles. Vape pens allow you to get a hit on the go in a discreet manner.
  
  

• Stronger Hits

   Yes, this is the core advantage I mentioned. As they are concentrated, they offer the active ingredients and none of the fillers. Their potency is much higher than conventional smoking methods, 80% more to be exact.

How to vape concentrates?

As you already know, there are different types of extracts and each has different types of dab vaporizers to choose from. Let’s see the options you have.

• Dab Pens or Concentrate Vape Pen

Dab pens are vape pens designed to handle THC - CBD concentrates. They do the same job that bowls or bongs with much less hassle.

Concentrate Vape Pens are beginner-friendly because they are easy to use, discrete, and highly convenient. Currently getting a dab pen is easy on an online vape shop or dispensary.

• E-nails or rigs

E-nails are electronic concentrate vaporizers very similar to a traditional dab rig. They are slightly more complex but can be understood as beginner-friendly because the vapour is cooled through a water attachment or vape mod, and if you are new to the concentrates scene, the heat might hit you hard.

Some are standalone units, and some others can be broken down into portable. One of their biggest advantages is that they can reach much higher temperatures for more intense vaping.

• Cartridges vape pen

Like the regular dab pens, Cartridges vape pens have a heating element and a battery.  However, instead of loading the concentrate directly on the heating chamber,  these devices take cartridges full of Cannabis oil. 

Concentrate vape cartridges are affordable, popular, and come in many varieties as the dry herb. 

• Desktops

Like your computer, they are made to stay at home. They are larger than other types of vaporizers, some need to be plugged in, and in general, desktop concentrate vaporizers are meant for group vaping sessions.  The vapour is usually inhaled through a tube or balloon.

As you can see, some extract vapes are better for beginners and others are more suited for seasoned vapers. From my personal perspective, the SLASH dab vape pen offers a deep potency experience and is extremely convenient. Now it’s your turn to get into vaping concentrates.

Stay high!