What is a Dab Pen and How to Use It

These days, consuming cannabis is not limited to smoking a joint. Instead of smoking flowers, you can enjoy weed concentrates and extracts discreetly with a dab pen or vaporizer. If you’re thinking of trying one soon, the guide below can help you have a pleasurable experience.

At Cannabis & Glass, we have a wide variety of concentrate vaporizers for cannabis users at any vaping experience level. If you’re a dab pen novice, the guide below explains the benefits of using a dab pen and how to use the equipment to enjoy cannabis wax and oils.

Don’t forget to stop by one of our three shops in Eastern Washington to prepare for your dab pen experience!

What Is a Dab Pen?

A dab pen is a discreet portable device that resembles a vape pen used to consume weed concentrates and extracts. These devices come in various shapes, sizes, and configurations, but they all have three essential components: a battery, a heating chamber with an atomizer, and a mouthpiece.

Power from the battery causes the heating chamber to warm whatever weed concentrate you place inside it. As the concentrate heats up, it produces a vapor you inhale through a metal or glass mouthpiece.

Most people enjoy dab pens because they are perfect for discreet cannabis use. Cannabis connoisseurs can use them on the go to get a quick high.

How Do Dab Pens Work?

Dab pens have revolutionized the way we consume cannabis concentrates. At their core, these sleek devices are powered by a rechargeable battery that heats a ceramic or quartz coil. When the user places a small amount of cannabis concentrate onto this coil and activates the pen, the concentrate is rapidly vaporized. This process transforms it into a flavorful and potent vapor that’s inhaled through a plastic mouthpiece.

Many dab pens feature adjustable temperature settings, allowing users to customize their vaping experience based on their preference. Dab pens offer a truly discreet and efficient way to enjoy cannabis on the move.

What Is the Difference Between a Vape Pen and Dab Pen?

couple vaping

People often use dabbing and vaping interchangeably because they are similar ways to consume weed. However, these portable vaporizers use different forms of cannabis and heating methods.

For instance, dab pens use conduction heat to warm the cannabis concentrate or oil you put directly onto the hot surface. The oils heat to a high temperature and produce a vapor. When you dab, you will get a quick, intense high.

Vape pens use convection heat instead of conduction heat. The cannabis oil cartridge attached to the pen heats due to the heating component warming the air around the oil.

What Do You Put Inside Dab Pens?

What Do You Put Inside Dab Pens

You can use different types of wax concentrates in a dab pen. However, the kind you use depends on your preferences, which may include:

  • Budder: This creamy concentrate is a whipped CBD extract that produces a smooth dabbing experience packed with flavor.
  • Shatter: This glass-like concentrate features a high CBD content. Manufacturers extract CBD from a marijuana plant and cool it until it becomes a solid.
  • Crumble: Crumble is a wax concentrate with high THC content and a crumbly texture. It undergoes a similar extraction process as shatter, but it’s heated instead of cooled to give users an intense cannabis experience.

How to Use a Dab Pen for the First Time

Dab pens are simple to use if you follow these steps:

  1. Charge your dab pen by plugging it into a USB port.
  2. Remove the pen’s cap and unscrew its atomizer after the device completes its charge.
  3. Load your concentrate directly onto the atomizer, but stop once it reaches the coil level.
  4. Secure the atomizer back into place, and replace the pen cap.
  5. Turn on the dab pen by pressing the power button several times or until its light display blinks.
  6. Use the device by putting your lips on the mouthpiece while holding the power button to inhale the vapor. Inhale slowly, and gradually release the button when you’ve inhaled enough.
  7. Press the power button several times until the pen turns off when you finish dabbing.

Safety Tips to Consider When Using a Dab Pen

Though dabbing is a popular and generally safe way to consume cannabis, the pens can still break or injure you if you’re not careful.

For instance, don’t use wax concentrates in dry herb vaporizers, leave the pen on for a long time, or overcharge the dab pen’s battery. Additionally, incorrectly charging, using, or storing the pen could lead to fire or device damage.

Head to Cannabis & Glass Today

If you’re ready to sample the best cannabis concentrates in Eastern Washington, head to Cannabis & Glass. Feel free to search our dispensary menus in Spokane, Spokane Valley, and Liberty Lake – we have impressive inventories of many marijuana strains, wax vape pens, concentrates, and more.

View our menus online, or stop by one of our local dispensaries in for more information about your next dab pen.