As we’ve written before, for many of us the best way to enjoy cannabis is also the simplest: Through a good old-fashioned pipe. While we certainly won’t argue with those who love this time-honored tool, we’d like to present a more cutting-edge option: the dab pen. For a growing number of cannabis lovers dabbing marijuana from a dab pen is a popular option..
If you’ve wondered “what is a dab pen?” but come up short, today’s post is for you! We’ll explain how to use a dab pen to enjoy cannabis concentrates, plus we’ll answer the popular follow-up question “what is a dab pen high like,” while getting into other important details. By the end, you’ll know everything you need about this novel and high-tech way to enjoy cannabis.
What Is a Dab Pen: The Basics
Again: There are many great reasons to enjoy cannabis flower. It’s a fun, fast-acting, and familiar way to get up close and personal with those fragrant buds. While studies suggest that smoking cannabis is less harmful than smoking tobacco, some folks would prefer to skip smoking altogether.
That’s where vaporizers come in. Most pen-style units use a prefilled cartridge loaded with cannabis concentrates, often a distillate. Instead of releasing smoke, these devices emit a cool mist. It contains all the precious cannabinoids and terpenes, but none of the combusted plant matter. It’s a simple, quick, and uniquely pleasurable way to enjoy cannabis.
So, what is a dab pen? In many regards, it’s not dissimilar from a standard vape pen. But because various cannabis concentrates vaporize at slightly different temperatures, a dab pen offers more precise controls than a standard vape pen, offering a range of temperatures so you can get the optimum potency, flavor, and smoothness. In addition, it will typically have a refillable chamber to hold the cannabis concentrate (aka “the dab”). In this case, the dab is typically loaded one hit at a time into the chamber.
By the way: Did you know there are vaporizers that can make use of cannabis flower? While this category was once relegated to the world of complex (and expensive) tabletop models, nowadays you can find relatively inexpensive, portable, and high-tech options. The better ones offer a range of temperature settings and other options so you can fine-tune the experience. Just like vape pens, they don’t actually burn any plant matter, so they’re gentle on our airways and lungs.
How To Use a Dab Pen: An Introduction
If you’ve settled on a dab pen you’d like to try, now comes the easy part: Once you’ve loaded a tiny amount—and we mean tiny, like starting with a piece the size of a grain of rice—and energized the dab pen, all you do is put the mouthpiece to your lips and take a gentle inhale (some people liken it to taking a sip of hot tea).
When talking about what a dab pen high is like, we’d like to offer a word of caution: If you’re new to dabbing, remember that cannabis concentrates are fast-acting and extremely potent. That’s why we recommend that even experienced cannabis users start low and go slow. Remember, you can always have more cannabis, but you can’t have less!
What Is a Dab Pen? Final Thoughts
Do you have other questions about dabbing marijuana, how to use a dab pen, or any other topics in the cannabis world? Stop by one of our dispensary locations in Des Moines or Seattle to talk to one of our resourceful budtenders about dabbing and using dab pens, they’ll be happy to help!
