There are a number of ways to consume cannabis. Out of all the options available, people are often confused about which method to go for when you want to get stoned. According to new research, it’s been suggested that dabbing is the most efficient way of getting cannabis’ active ingredient which is THC.
Why dabbing?
The study was conducted by Forensic Science International in 2019. They carried out an experiment in a machine built-in house where they replicated dabbing and smoking cannabis. Throughout the experiment, they collected the vapors and the smoke and analyzed them for cannabinoid content. They called it the “recovery rate”. Then they compared the amount of cannabinoid in the original sample and through that, they were able to find the CBD and THC content.
The study found out that more than 75% of the THC in the dab reached the consumer’s lungs. By contrast, when a user smokes a joint almost 75% of the THC is destroyed before it goes into the user.
While dabbing seems to outperform the other methods at first glance, some doctors argue that dabbing doesn’t always have such high recovery rates. Dr.Jeffrey Raber performed a series of experiments on dabbing and pipe smoking, along with his research on joints. They found much lower rates of recovery for dabbing which was around 40%. He concluded that dabbing is head to toe with smoking when it comes to recovery. He suggested that the reason for low recovery rates was the higher temperature which might have led the active cannabinoids into something else.
Raber also analyzed the ash along with the smoke and the vapors. He was able to recover only 50% of the cannabinoids from the original sample. He claimed that the remaining 50% of the cannabinoids turned into something else. Therefore, it can be said that a newer study conducted by Forensic Science International might have used a lower temperature on dabs.
Previous studies:
There have been studies done to vast the differences between smoking and dabbing. One of those studies was conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Raber. He found out then when smoking around 27.5% to 46.3% THC reached a consumer’s lungs which is a good amount to get stoned. But it’s still less than 75%.
Dabbing is also different from vaping. During dabbing, people inhale extract that’s boiling off a heated piece of quartz or a ceramic nail. Whereas, vapers might be toasting flowers in a Volcano, or sipping vapor from the various types of e-cigarettes which are going around in the market.
Research on vaporizers shows a wide range of recovery rates that vary greatly based on the vaporizer used. Most vaporizers averaged recovery rates in the mid-to-high ’50s. One study showed rates from 51.4% – 82.7%, depending on the vaporizer. Only one vaporizer studied came close to the recovery rates for dabbing.