Dabbing is a relatively new form of marijuana use that has become popular over the past few years. Dabbing uses a concentrated extract of marijuana’s active ingredient, THC. There are various names for this extract, including butane hash oil, or BHO, honey oil, wax, budder, and shatter. BHO is a thick greenish brown substance that resembles wax or honey. Dabbing is done by heating the BHO until it vaporizes, then inhaling the vapor. A dab is at least four times more potent than a regular joint. While the herbal form of marijuana typically is about 15 percent THC, BHO might be up to 90 percent THC. This means that the effects of dabbing are much stronger than regular marijuana use and they begin more quickly. Dabbing may cause euphoria very quickly, but it can also cause the user to experience the negative effects of THC more intensely. These might include panic attacks, hallucinations, paranoia, and loss of consciousness. As with more traditional forms of marijuana use, it is almost impossible to fatally overdose with dabbing. However, it is much easier to take too much, leading to a very unpleasant experience. In addition to the greater risk of unwanted side effects, the higher concentrations of THC in dabbing might make users more prone to dependence and addiction. Marijuana itself is not especially addictive. About 9 percent of regular users will develop a serious addiction, compared to about 15 percent of regular alcohol users. However, since BHO is far more concentrated and therefore more potent, dabbing can lead to dependence much more quickly. If you think about someone having couple of drinks with dinner compared to someone who immediately does two shots after leaving work, it’s obvious who will be at greater risk for addiction. This greater risk is especially true of users in their teens or early twenties. Studies have shown that early marijuana use lowers IQ and impairs cognitive development, and a more potent form of THC will only increase that damage and lead to a greater risk of addiction later in life. It’s also dangerous to manufacture BHO. In states where recreational marijuana is legal, it is produced safely in professional labs, but in states where recreational marijuana isn’t yet legal, people try to make it at home, sometimes with disastrous results. As the name suggests, BHO is made using butane to extract the THC from marijuana. Butane is a flammable gas that can build up in the room where BHO is manufactured. Either the heat source or a spark can ignite the butane, which can either cause minor burns to the cook or burn the whole building down. There have been several cases of people being seriously injured in butane explosions. It’s certainly not worth the risk of trying to manufacture it at home.
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