Dabbing, Blasting, and Oil Rig: The New Language of Marijuana

These authors describe “dabbing,” a new method of using marijuana, and its possible risks. A highly concentrated tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) product can be prepared by passing butane through a glass or steel tube packed with dried cannabis (a practice known as “blasting”). Once the butane evaporates or is otherwise removed, the remaining product (butane hash oil; BHO) can reach THC concentrations of up to 80%. BHO (which can be produced in a number of forms) is then vaporized by heating it to very high temperatures and inhaled (“dabbing”) through a glass water pipe apparatus (called an “oil rig”).

Blasting is appealing because it requires few resources and can be used to salvage less potent portions of the marijuana plant. Instructional videos are widely available online (warning: contains profanity https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2i464hZm4kM). Butane is highly volatile: fires, explosions, and severe burns have been attributed to this process. Dabbing can be dangerous because blow torches are often used to vaporize the BHO. There are virtually no data on the long-terms risks of inhaling concentrated BHO or the byproducts (solder, rust, benzene) produced from heating the titanium rod (“nail”) that holds the BHO during vaporization.