If you’re looking to stretch your stash until your wallet receives reinforcements, check out these simple tips for getting the most out of every dab.

Many of us love to dab because it offers a way to take powerful hits of THC all at once. Compared to the 20-40% THC content found in flower, wax offers way more bang for your buck. But when the end of the month hits and your wax supply tends to run low, dabbing can turn from a relaxing moment to a stressful countdown of how many dabs you’ve got left.

Fortunately, adapting more sustainable ways to take dabs is an easy way to make your monthly supply last longer. You don’t need fancy rigs to stretch your wax from paycheck to paycheck, either. Some of the dabbing tips in this guide cost nothing but your time.

1. Don’t Overheat the Nail on Your Dabbing Rig

It takes far less heat than you might think to activate the cannabinoids in wax. Go too high and the red-hot nail on your rig could burn off the THC before you smoke it. When that happens, all you’re left with is harsh smoke. Instead, let your rig’s nail cool a little after hitting it with the torch. A digital thermometer will tell you when it hits the sweet spot (around 400° F). 

2. Use a Carb Cap and Dab Beads

Have you ever dabbed outside and lost half of your hit to the wind? Those days will be over once you invest in a carb cap. Crucially, the carb cab sits over the nail, trapping the vaporized wax inside. As a bonus, the cap keeps the nail hot longer to heat large dabs. Pro tip: pick a cap you can lift up easily. In addition, dab beads make the hard work of spreading the wax easier. They sit in the bowl of a banger nail and spin as you inhale. This motion lets the wax burn evenly and lowers the chance of burning it.

3. Learn How to Inhale the Right Way

Inhaling a dab is a little different from regular breathing or even smoking a joint because the concentrated vapor of a dab is much more potent. Thus, newcomers to dabbing tend to cough a lot because they’re not used to it. The trick to avoid wasting your dabs is to inhale as slowly as possible. As you inhale, imagine the vapor filling all the way to the bottom of your rib cage.

Top off your hit with a little natural air to make sure all the vapor is in your lungs, then hold your hit for 3-4 seconds, and exhale. Now you’re a pro!

4. Keep Your Dabbing Rig Clean

Every time you dab, resin clings to the inside of the rig. This sticky substance is also referred to as reclaim. After a while, reclaim will clog the airways of your rig like cholesterol in an artery. Poor airflow in a dabbing rig will make each hit weaker. Additionally, when you can’t pull the full hit through, the vapor will cling to the reclaim and add to the mess. In dabbing rigs, the dirtiest piece is the dropdown attachment. To clean it, remove the piece and heat it gently. When the reclaim warms, it’ll fall out.

5. Try Dabbing Reclaim

When it comes to dabbing, waste not, want not is an excellent approach to take. Did you know the reclaim you cleaned from your dabbing rig still has up to 60% of its original THC content? That works out to just 20% less THC content than your average wax. Reclaim works in a dabbing rig like any other concentrate. Fair warning: you will notice the reclaim doesn’t taste as good as fresh wax — a result of the terpenes burned off during the initial dabbing session.

6. Smoke Dabs in Moderation

Smoking a dab introduces THC into your system within 5 minutes. The effects of a moderate-sized dab may last anywhere from 3-4 hours. In comparison, the effects from a joint wear off in 2-3 hours. Your system doesn’t know what to do with extra THC other than store it, so once your system has enough stored, excess THC goes into your body’s waste. Case in point: smoking dabs every hour is a waste of good wax. You might as well cut out the middle-man and throw it in the toilet.

7. Pull Smaller Dabs

Wax is 2-3 times more potent than the highest quality flower available on the market. If a gram-sized joint typically sends you straight to bed, then you don’t need a huge dab. If you’re new to dabbing, start with a dab of wax smaller than a peppercorn. A dab that size should have around 25 mg of THC. By contrast, a modest dose of THC is about 5 mg, so be prepared.

8. Mix Wax with Fresh Flower

It’s finally happened: you’re on your last bit of wax. You can either smoke it all in one tiny dab or find a way to stretch that last hit. To keep the party going a little longer, try adding wax to a joint or topping off a pipe bowl. Both offer a hassle-free way to smoke wax plus the added THC boost of a 1 mg wax joint will last you most of the day.

9. Take a Break from Dabbing

Cannabinoids build up in your system with regular use. After a while, your system is so used to cannabinoids, it doesn’t react to new ones. Weed tolerance isn’t a myth to scare smokers into moderation. The first symptom that you’re developing THC tolerance is a weak head high.

If you feel your dabs aren’t hitting as hard, you need a break. Take a few weeks off. Your system will use the stored THC and your next dab will exceed expectations.

10. Look for Deals from Your Local Cannabis Delivery Service

Sometimes stretching your wax to last until the next paycheck simply isn’t an option. For instance, chronic pain patients who dab for relief don’t have the luxury of cutting back.

Instead of possibly hurting yourself, look for deals from your local cannabis dispensary. Many offer a percentage off for using their delivery service or curbside pick-up. Always be sure to ask your budtender about any deals they’re running that you might not know about too!

Make Each Dab Exceed Expectations

Dabs offer smokers a clean high with pure THC concentrates. Unfortunately, the process to make safe wax for smoking is expensive and that price is passed down to you, the customer. All you can really do is find ways to make your wax last as long as possible. It starts with making sure your rig is optimized with the right accessories. A carb cap alone will cut your cannabinoid losses in almost half.

The staff at Purple Lotus is always ready to help when you need to grab more wax. We offer wax in a 0.5 g weight option to keep your costs low. Check out our pre-order page to see all the waxes currently in stock.