Written by Joshua Sosin

Dabs are powerful cannabis concentrates that are loaded with psychoactive cannabinoids like THC. These weed products are best for experienced cannabis enthusiasts who want to experience an intense high beyond what smoking flower can get you.

We’re huge fans of dabs here at Mood. Vaporizing these potent products is one of our favorite ways to enjoy weed, and it’s a fantastic upgrade from standard cannabis flower.

If you’re ready for something new, introducing dabbing into your smoking routine is perfect for you.

Here’s what you need to know about dabs, including how long their effects last and their shelf life.

Table of Contents

• What Is Dabbing?

• What Are the Effects of Dabbing?

• How Long Do Dabs Last? Key Factors

• Do Dabs Show Up on a Drug Test?

• FAQs About Dabs

• Types of Concentrates To Dab

  • Badder

  • Kief

  • Hash

  • Moonrocks

  • Diamonds

What Is Dabbing?

Dabbing is a method of smoking highly concentrated cannabis products. These cannabis concentrates contain high levels of THCa (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid), which turns into psychoactive THC when smoked.

Hitting a dab can get you very high, especially if you’re a first-time user. There’s also a bit of a learning curve for this method of smoking; it’s very similar to using a bong, but it takes some practice and gear to get it exactly right.

Here’s a rundown of how dabbing works:

The Dab Rig

A dab rig is a specialized pipe designed for vaporizing dabs. It looks like a standard water pipe (AKA a bong), but it has some unique features that set it apart.

A standard rig includes a heat-resistant piece of metal called a banger or nail.

This nail is where the user deposits a small amount of concentrate, which is then heated with a butane torch. Through a process called decarboxylation, heating the dab creates a high concentration of THC.

To use a rig, you’ll need a special metal gadget called a dab tool. This little piece of your cannabis arsenal is for loading up your nail with concentrate, and it protects your hands from getting burned by the hot banger.

In addition, using a rig requires a lighter or butane torch. We recommend a torch, as it’s a better device for quickly heating up dabs to specific temperatures.

Dabbing and Tolerance

Hitting a dab produces an intense high with perception-altering effects. Some dabs are almost pure THCa, so a little bit goes a long way.

If you’re a regular user of dabs, you can expect your tolerance for the psychoactive effects of THC to go up over time.

This means that your experience with dabbing will change as you become a more frequent user, reducing the intensity of the psychoactive impact on your body and mind.

To avoid getting overly tolerant of dabs, we recommend taking an occasional break from cannabis use (sometimes called a tolerance break or “T-break”) to give your system time to adjust. The result will be getting your sensitivity back to lower amounts of THC.

How Dabbing Makes You Feel

Getting high using dabs can be an extremely relaxing and rewarding experience.

These cannabis products are rich in cannabinoids, but they’re also full of aromatic, flavorful compounds called terpenes. These substances are produced by the cannabis plant and give your weed its distinct scents and tastes.

The combination of high terpene and cannabinoid content makes concentrates like dabs a feast for your senses.

Vaporizing some dab badder on your nail will fill the room with powerful aromas, and each hit will make you feel soothed and blissed out. It’s an experience that you have to try for yourself to fully appreciate.

How Long Do Dabs Get You High?

The duration of your high from dabbing will depend on numerous factors, including your frequency of use, metabolism, body fat percentage, and the amount of THC you take in.

In general, expect dabbing to get you high for several hours and produce significant effects within just a few minutes of your first hit. Repeat hits will prolong your high by increasing the THC levels in your bloodstream.

How Long Do Dabs Last?

Like all cannabis products, dabs contain cannabinoids, which can degrade over time.

Weed goes through the natural process of decarboxylation when it’s exposed to light and heat, and this process can turn psychoactive cannabinoids like THC into non-psychoactive compounds like CBN. The result is less potent cannabis that won’t produce the same level of high.

Since dabs can decarboxylate more and more over time, they eventually reach a point when they’re not very useful anymore. This point usually comes around after about a year of storage. So, it’s best to use your dabs up within 12 months of getting them delivered to your door from the Mood Shop.

Moldy Weed: It’s a Real Thing

In addition to decarboxylation and degrading over time, concentrates can also get moldy.

It’s no fun to think about — and kind of gross — but it’s important to know about the risk of mold on your weed so you can prevent it from growing.

Mold tends to grow on cannabis products when they’re stored in areas that are overly humid. Excess moisture can make organic materials like dabs a breeding ground for mold. That’s why we always recommend storing your products from the Mood Shop in a cool, dry place.

You’ll know that your dabs are moldy based on their appearance and smell.

Moldy cannabis flower typically looks fuzzy and has a nasty, musty smell. Dabs have the same unpleasant smell when they grow mold, but they’re more susceptible to discoloration than texture changes. Look for odd colors along with that musty smell.

If your dabs get moldy, always throw them out. Unfortunately, there’s no way to scrape mold off of a dab badder the way you’d cut off moldy parts from a block of cheese — so don’t try. If your dab grows mold, chuck it out to avoid health issues.

Storing Dabs Properly

We already mentioned a cool, dry place for dab storage, but there’s more to it than that.

Ideally, you should keep your dabs away from direct sunlight to slow down the natural decarboxylation process. Using an opaque container can help with this part of cannabis storage.

In addition, it’s best to keep dabs in an airtight container. Blocking out air can protect your cannabis products from excess humidity, which is the main cause of mold growth.

Do Dabs Show Up on a Drug Test?

If you have drug screening coming up for work or school, it’s important to know that dabs will show up on a standard hair test, saliva test, or urine test.

These products contain a very high amount of THC, which a urinalysis test can spot within a 90-day detection window. That means you’ll most likely test positive if you’ve hit a dab within the last three months.

We highly recommend avoiding all cannabis products for at least 90 days — including your dab pen — if you have any type of drug test in the future.

Are Dabs Legal?

The Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, also known as the Farm Bill, made a big and lasting impact on the legal status of cannabis products like dabs.

Under this bill, cannabis goods that contain no more than 0.3% Delta-9 Tetrahydrocannabinol by dry weight are classified as hemp, which is now legal to order online. Any products above this threshold are labeled marijuana, which is federally illegal.

Thanks to the Farm Bill, you can get legal dabs online from the Mood Shop. All of our products, including our vapes, edibles, and more, are fully compliant with the standards set by the Farm Bill and are third-party tested for quality, consistency, and safety.

Before you order concentrates from the Mood Shop, make sure we deliver to your state.

FAQs About Dabbing

Q: Who should dab?

A: Dabbing is best for experienced cannabis enthusiasts who are already familiar with how THC makes them feel. If you have a clear sense of your tolerance level for psychoactive cannabinoids, dabbing might be perfect for you.

In addition, if you’re an occasional user of cannabis and want to try something more potent, we recommend starting out small with just a little bit of concentrate.

Make sure to leave a significant amount of time between hits from your dab rig, especially at first. That way, you’ll have a chance to see how the cannabinoids affect you.

Q: How do I make my dabbing experience better?

A: We’re big fans of hydration and nutrition while using cannabis. If your last use wasn’t too pleasant, we recommend drinking a lot of water and enjoying a dab after some healthy food.

Dietary fats can help your body absorb cannabinoids more effectively, which can be especially helpful if using cannabis has made you feel a little nauseous in the past.

Q: What is a dab pen?

A: A dab pen is a specialized type of vape made for heating and smoking concentrates.

The cartridges in these vapes often feature a combination of a concentrate like hash or kief with isolated cannabinoids like CBD. If you’re a moderate user of cannabis, starting out with a dab pen might be perfect for you.

Q: I only feel short-term effects while dabbing. Why?

A: The length of time that THC affects you can vary based on factors like your body composition, metabolism, and more. In general, folks with higher metabolisms tend to have shorter-lived highs, even with potent products like dabs.

If you’re not satisfied with the duration of your high, consider switching the concentrate that you use. A dab that has higher THCa content might work better for you.

Types of Concentrates To Dab

Badder

With a whipped, buttery consistency, badder is one of the easiest concentrates to use. Its texture makes applying it to your dab nail a breeze, and it has a powerful flavor and aroma that’s absolutely irresistible.

The Mood Shop is home to multiple premium dab badders, including our THCa Ice Queen variety. Created to help you feel inspired, it’s a high-potency product with 27.56% THCa content.

Get 1g of THCa Ice Queen Dab Badder for only $49. Subscribe to save 15% on your order.

Kief

Kief is a byproduct of raw cannabis plant material that’s usually dry-sifted with a thin mesh screen. The result is that the finest particles of the trichomes of the plant get set aside — and that’s kief.

You can add kief to a joint or bowl to increase its potency, but you can also enjoy it as a key component of moonrocks, a unique concentrate that we’ll cover in greater detail below.

Hash

Hash is one of the oldest cannabis concentrates in the world. It’s made by pressing the trichomes of marijuana flowers together to produce a sticky, resinous substance that is loaded with cannabinoids.

Hash produces a potent and long-lasting high that feels absolutely amazing. You can experience it for yourself with Classic Hash from the Mood Shop, which has a rich, robust flavor and over 60% THCa content.

Get 1.5g of Classic Hash for only $46. Subscribe to save 15% on your order.

Moonrocks

We like to think of moonrocks as the absolute caviar of cannabis. They’re a potent combination of THC distillate, dried flower, and kief that you can use to elevate your smoking experience.

With medium potency but high THCa and terpene content, our Delta-8 Moonrocks are the perfect place to start your journey with concentrates. You can crumble them into your favorite smokable to blast off for some seriously good times.

Get 3.5g of Delta-8 THC Moonrocks for just $40. Subscribe to save 15% on your order.

Diamonds

With 97.85% THCa content, our THCa Diamonds are one of the most potent products in the Mood Shop. They’re small, solid, crystalline structures that you can smoke or vape for a powerful and long-lasting high.

We recommend diamonds for experienced cannabis users.

Get 1g of THCa Diamonds from the Mood Shop for just $55. Use the code “FIRST20” to save 20% on your first order.

Looking for something milder? Head to the Mood Shop to browse our selection of mild-potency products.

Prices subject to change.