For me and my daily routines, inhalation will always be a main method of cannabis ingestion. I’m a legal patient and so, after years of ineffective pharmaceutical meds, ain’t nobody got time to wait for them to work. Heck, I don’t even have time to wait for sublingual Cannabis oil to work. Morning is my nemesis, my kryptonite like so many others reading this. Getting cannabinoids in and getting them working is of utmost importance to me and hitting that nail first thing softens my morning edges like nothing I’ve ingested before.
Cannabis concentrate comes in many different forms and the varying prices may only be about the current hype. Sell it while it’s hot kinda deal. Either way, we pay a lot for this precious collection of cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes and other botanicals depending on varying factors. We’re not going to get into that however, we’re just here to talk about how to get that sticky, volatile goo from the flower into your endocannabinoid system without loss and subsequent hardship. The following are my warnings to you, fellow partaker of the gift of Mother Cannabis in her concentrated forms.
Shatter Shatters!
As hot and humid as my apartment is right now, I still just pinged a hefty chunk of golden shatter across the frikken room. In the past, I’ve been luckier in respect to how far the shatter shattered, but instead I was left picking pieces of Cannabis off of my dab. That’s something you do not want igniting in that 900*F cup. That’s a good way to lose your bangs or brows and make a mess of your rig!
I now heat the dabber a bit so it melts into the sheet of shatter when choosing my dab. This usually solves the issue quite well. On the contrary, if I’m dabbing a concentrate that is gooey or runny I don’t warm that dabbing tool at all. This is because the warmth will make it impossible to scoop up a sufficient dose.
Sticky stuff!
Your order came in or you just visited your favorite dispensary. Your cup hath heateth & you are ready to imbibe. This is where it gets all Tolkien for many of us who love to admire fine shatter. We hold it up whispering, “my precious”. Heck, even the shatter that’s dark khaki with chlorophyll is beautiful when held up to the sunlight. But like the wax holding Icarus’ wings, melted in the same sun, your shatter can soften and stick to the sides of the package. Talk about wasting time better spent basking in the glory of a well-fed ECS, eh?
My tip: I currently buy shatter in plastic envelope type packages. These along with carefully folded parchment paper are very common. The trick is to be aware of the heat of your fingers and hands when handling these packages. Even if you have to pop it into the freezer for a few minutes to harden it back up, you’ll be doing yourself a favor. If done carefully, it’s possible to gently pull the shatter away from the sides & slide it out --sometimes even in one piece. I keep my shatter in silicone for easy daily dabbing.
A ‘lil Dab’ll Do Ya
I say this for many reasons. For one, dabs are serious shit. Depending on the flowers used, dabs can be several times higher in cannabinoid strength as is flower. This is why I really love the idea of having pre-dosed dabs. It’s very easy to over-dab when you’re taking random pieces or scoops.
Secondly, from a bronchial perspective the small dab that I can inhale in one or two breaths, is best. That size lets me walk away without as much as a cough. For some lungs, that white bowl they inhale can leave them in a coughing fit that is not only scary but has its own side effects like lasting lung irritation. Not all enjoy the big clouds on exhale.
In addition, hot concentrate can splatter and bounce down the hole to collect in the rig water. This is known as reclaim. When buying our dab rig, we opted for good aeration over ease of reclaim collection so I’m no longer able to claim all of my reclaim. This has led my hubby and I to use smaller dabs and in doing so, we lose less dab down that hole.
Squishing? Humidity Matters!
Many of us are squishing or rosin pressing our flowers to literally melt and squeeze the concentrate out of the flower. It’s an amazing thing to see. The same rule remains however, where quality out requires quality in. If your flower is all dried out, many trichs will be on the bottom of your bag, not attached to the bud. Regulating the humidity level inside your storage containers pre-squish is imperative to keep that trichome intact. The RH of the average home is between 40 and 60% while the Cannabis sweet spot is between 55% and 62%. Some squishers even over-hydrate for 12-24 hours pre-squish for optimal returns.
For me, it’s all about how to get it in and get it working and working for a long time. Losing any amount of my precious is not an option. Waste-not; want-not as my daddy taught me.
I’d love to hear any other tips, fellow daily dabbers can provide.
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