What to Expect Your First Dab: Effects, Dose, and Duration
Your first dab hits within seconds and lasts 1 to 3 hours. Here is what it feels like, how much to use, and what to do if the high is too strong.
A dab pen turns a cannabis concentrate into vapor you inhale. To take a dab with a pen, turn the battery on, set it to a low or medium voltage, press the button and draw for 3 to 5 seconds, hold the vapor for a second, then exhale. Wait 10 to 15 minutes before you decide whether you want another hit, because concentrate hits build in steps rather than all at once.
What you need
- A charged dab pen battery with a 510 thread or a matching cartridge
- A prefilled concentrate cartridge, or a wax atomizer plus a dab tool if you load your own
- A stable place to sit or stand, away from traffic, stairs, and anything flammable
Steps for a cartridge dab pen
- Check that the cartridge is threaded on hand tight and that the battery has a charge.
- Turn the battery on, which on most models takes five quick clicks of the button.
- Set the voltage to the low or medium range, usually 2.5 to 3.3 volts, so the oil vaporizes without scorching.
- Stand the pen upright for a moment so the oil settles around the intake hole.
- Put the mouthpiece to your lips and press the button, if your battery is button activated.
- Draw at a steady, gentle pace for 3 to 5 seconds, pulling vapor into your mouth first and then into your lungs.
- Release the button and keep drawing plain air for one second to clear the vapor from the airway.
- Hold the vapor for 1 to 2 seconds and exhale.
- Set a 10 to 15 minute timer before you take a second hit, since effects from concentrate peak late.
- Click the battery off and store the pen upright with the mouthpiece up.
Steps for a load-your-own wax pen
- Open the atomizer and confirm the coil is clean and seated.
- Pick up a piece of concentrate about the size of a grain of rice with a dab tool.
- Place it on the coil or in the ceramic cup, not against the wall of the chamber.
- Close the atomizer and let the pen sit for a minute so the concentrate softens onto the coil.
- Fire the button for one second to melt the material, then release.
- Press and draw for 2 to 4 seconds, since a fresh load hits harder than a cartridge.
- Wait 10 to 15 minutes before reloading or taking another draw.
How much to draw
Cannabis concentrates often run far higher in THC than flower, so the first session should be one short draw, not three. A 2 to 3 second pull is enough to judge the strength of an unfamiliar cartridge. Increase by one draw at a time once you know how the product affects you. Keep a glass of water nearby, because vapor dries out the mouth and throat.
Common mistakes
- Pulling hard and fast, which floods the coil and sends hot oil into your mouth.
- Running the highest voltage setting, which burns the oil and makes the hit harsh.
- Firing the button with an empty chamber, which damages the coil.
- Taking several hits at once and then waiting, which makes overshooting easy to do.
- Leaving the pen on its side, which lets oil pool and clog the airway.
Safety notes
Buy cartridges from licensed, lab tested sources, since unregulated THC vape products have been tied to severe lung injury. Do not drive or operate equipment after a dab. Do not combine a dab with alcohol, and skip it if you are new to cannabis. Store the pen and any concentrate away from children and pets, and keep the battery away from heat and direct sun.