A new method of smoking marijuana concentrates is starting to become much more popular across the country. It’s called a dab of butane honey oil or BHO dabs (also known as “wax” or shatter”). The widespread growth is probably attributed to the increased legalization of marijuana in several states.
Even though the butane extraction of marijuana has been around since the 1970’s, our youth is looking for a hip way to smoke. The kids want to smoke in a different way from how their parents would fire up a joint or bong. As marijuana becomes more socially acceptable and legal, extraction is starting to transform the smoking culture. An article written in The Daily Beast described dabs as: “if you think of pot as classic rock, than dabs is the heavy metal. It’s a cultural-generational thing. Youth is going to be attracted to something rebellious, new, and different from what their parents are smoking.”
Even though extraction can be a relatively simple process, it can also be dangerous. Young amateur chemists are producing inconsistent products and the end user has no idea what is in the final product. Furthermore, many amateurs use propane or butane to extract the marijuana which can be extremely flammable. However, the legal dispensaries in California and Colorado for example will test their products to confirm the potency and avoid any contaminants in the end product. These dispensaries or cannabis collectives have a reputation to protect and need to sell a product free of these contaminants such as chemicals, molds, or pesticides. The danger with dabs in the State of Florida is that the user does not know what they are receiving since the product is illegal and unregulated.