Both dabbing and vaping have become increasingly popular over the past decade, especially among teenagers and young adults. However, there is an ongoing debate about which one is actually worse for your health. In this article, we will compare and contrast dabbing and vaping to help determine which one is more dangerous.
What is Dabbing?
Dabbing involves inhaling vapors from concentrated doses of cannabis extracts or cannabis concentrates such as wax, shatter, or butane hash oil (BHO). These extracts contain very high levels of THC, the main psychoactive compound in cannabis.
A dab rig is used to heat the extracts to a high temperature, causing them to vaporize so they can be inhaled. The most common way to do this is with a bong-like water pipe and a metal, glass, or quartz nail that is heated with a blowtorch. Once the nail is hot enough, a small amount of extract is placed on the nail and the vapors are inhaled through the rig.
How Dabbing Works
When you smoke cannabis flower, the THC content is typically between 5-25%. With cannabis extracts used for dabbing, the THC content can range from 60-95%, with some extracts testing over 99% THC. This means you are inhaling a much more concentrated dose with dabbing.
The high heat used to vaporize the extracts also creates different effects compared to smoking. It converts more THC into its activated form, which leads to faster absorption and onset of the high. The overall experience is much more intense and psychedelic.
The Dabbing Process
Doing a dab involves a few simple steps:
- Heat the nail – Use a blowtorch to heat the nail on your dab rig until it is red-hot or around 700°F.
- Allow cooling – Let the nail cool down a bit before adding the dab so you don’t destroy all the cannabinoids.
- Prepare the dab – Get a dab ready using a dabbing tool to scoop up a rice-grain sized amount of extract.
- Inhale the vapor – Place the dab on the heated nail and inhale slowly as it vaporizes.
- Exhale – Be sure to exhale away from the rig so you don’t blow the vapor back down into it.
It’s important to monitor the temperature and allow the nail to cool down some before putting the dab on it. Too high of heat can destroy the desired compounds in the extract before they vaporize. It takes some practice to get the timing and temperatures right.
What is Vaping?
Vaping refers to the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) or vape pens to inhale an aerosol that typically contains nicotine, flavorings, and other additives. Instead of burning tobacco like traditional cigarettes, these devices heat a liquid into an aerosol or vapor that is then inhaled.
How Vaping Works
E-cigarettes and vape pens work by heating a liquid solution called an e-liquid or vape juice. The main ingredients in vape juice are:
- Propylene Glycol or Vegetable Glycerin – This forms the base that creates the vapor cloud when heated.
- Nicotine – Many e-liquids contain nicotine, though the level can vary from 0-36mg/ml. Some contain no nicotine.
- Flavorings – Food-grade flavorings are used to create different flavors, from tobacco and menthol to fruit and dessert.
Some vape juices may also contain additives like vegetable oil, distilled water, and additional chemicals.
The e-liquid is contained in a cartridge or pod system. Power from the battery heats a coil, which turns the liquid into an inhalable vapor. Vaping temperatures are much lower than dabbing, usually around 200-250°F.
Using a Vape Device
Most vape devices follow a simple process:
- Fill the cartridge or pod – E-liquid comes in small bottles and is poured or injected into the cartridge/pod.
- Attach the cartridge – The filled cartridge or pod clicks into place on the battery/device.
- Turn on the device – A button or puff activates the battery to heat the coil inside.
- Inhale the vapor – Sucking in pulls air through the mouthpiece and produces vapor.
- Exhale vapor – Users exhale a large puff of vapor that looks like smoke.
Nicotine levels can be adjusted by using e-juice with more or less nicotine concentration. The voltage on certain devices can also be changed to control vapor production.
Dabbing vs. Vaping – The Key Differences
While dabbing and vaping both involve inhalation of vapor, there are some notable differences between the two:
| Category | Dabbing | Vaping |
|---|---|---|
| Devices Used | Dab rig, blow torch, nail | E-cigarette, vape pen, cartridges |
| Ingredients Vaporized | Cannabis extracts | E-liquids containing nicotine, flavors, etc. |
| Potency of Key Ingredient | Up to 99% THC | Usually 3-36mg/ml nicotine |
| Temperatures | Around 700°F | 200-250°F |
| Effects | Much more intense high | Buzz and satisfaction from nicotine |
| Duration | Effects last 1-3 hours | Effects last a few minutes |
As you can see, dabbing cannabis extracts leads to a much more powerful and long-lasting high compared to vaping e-liquids with nicotine. The higher potency THC concentrates vaporize at hotter temps for full effect.
The Dangers and Side Effects of Dabbing
While dabbing is still considered relatively new, some potential dangers and side effects have begun to emerge:
Risk of Addiction
The intense high caused by dabbing can lead to psychological dependence and addiction with frequent use. Those with addictive personalities may be particularly prone to compulsive dabbing.
Tolerance Builds Quickly
The super-charged THC levels make tolerance build very fast. People often increase their dab size and frequency chasing the original high, which increases risks.
Potential for Cannabis Toxicity
Also known as getting “too high,” the sheer potency of dabs makes cannabis toxicity more likely. This can produce anxiety, paranoia, dizziness, nausea and other undesirable effects.
Risk of Accidents and Injuries
The intricate process of using a blowtorch and hot nail to dab carries risks. Fires, burns, explosions and other accidents can occur, especially with inexperienced users.
Breathing Issues
The hot vapor can damage lung tissue over time, leading to chronic cough, phlegm, and lung inflammation. This may be worse for people with asthma or other respiratory conditions.
Suppressed Immune System
Frequent dabbing may suppress the immune system, making people more vulnerable to colds, flu and bacterial infections.
Other Side Effects
Short-term side effects like intense anxiety, vomiting, racing heartbeat, and paranoia are common. Potential long-term effects may include memory issues, lack of motivation, insomnia and mood changes.
The Dangers and Side Effects of Vaping
Research into vaping is still ongoing, but some clear risks and side effects have emerged so far:
Nicotine Addiction
The nicotine in many e-liquids is highly addictive. It keeps people coming back for more, making it hard to quit. Adolescents are particularly susceptible.
Harmful Additives
Some vape juices and black market products contain vitamin E acetate, heavy metals and other dangerous additives.
Popcorn Lung
The chemical diacetyl in some e-liquids has been linked to a condition called popcorn lung, which damages the small airways in the lungs.
Other Lung Damage
The aerosol particles, flavorings and chemicals in vape juice may cause permanent lung damage when inhaled frequently. This leads to breathing issues.
Increased Heart Rate
Nicotine can accelerate heart rate and increase blood pressure. This impacts heart health, especially for people with cardiovascular disease.
Premature Birth
Recent data from Stanford University found vaping increases the risk of preterm birth and underweight babies when pregnant women use e-cigarettes.
Seizures
Seizures have been reported in those using e-cigarettes. Nicotine and other ingredients may lower the seizure threshold.
Other side effects like dry mouth, headache, dizziness and vomiting are also common complaints with vaping. More research is still needed on the long-term health implications.
Comparing the Addiction Potential
Both dabbing and vaping carry risks of addiction. However, the addictive nature of nicotine in vapes may make them more habit-forming overall:
- The potent e-liquid nicotine formulated for vaping is highly addictive, while cannabis can be habit-forming for some.
- Vaping allows for easy, continual inhalation throughout the day, reinforcing the addiction.
- Dabbing requires a more involved process that provides natural pauses in use.
- Those who try to quit vaping nicotine report more severe withdrawal effects like anxiety, cravings and trouble concentrating.
Dabbing does produce quick tolerance to cannabis effects, leading some users to increase their dose and frequency. But vaping’s instant delivery of potent, pure nicotine likely makes it more addictive for more people.
Vaping Appears More Addictive Overall
Which Has More Health Risks?
Both dabbing and vaping are relatively new phenomena, so the long-term health implications are not fully characterized yet in scientific research. However, early evidence points to vaping carrying higher health risks overall:
- The ultra-high temperatures used in dabbing may produce toxic fumes, while vaping’s lower temperature avoids this.
- Additives, metals and other dangerous chemicals have been found in some vape products.
- The glycols/glycerins used in vape juice can break down into carcinogens like formaldehyde when heated.
- The vitamin E oil additive in some illicit vape cartridges has caused fatal lung illness.
It’s clear that certain black market vaping oils and devices are causing severe lung injuries and even deaths. Dabbing has not been implicated in any acute serious illnesses yet. However, the long-term lung effects of frequent dabbing may still be negative.
Vaping Appears to Have More Proven Health Risks
And the Winner Is…
Based on current evidence, it appears vaping nicotine e-liquids carries more risks and dangers overall compared to dabbing cannabis extracts. Here is a quick summary:
- Vaping is more addictive due to the super-charged nicotine.
- Vaping may cause more lung damage from concerning additives and high heat.
- Unregulated illicit vape cartridges with vitamin E oil have killed people.
- Dabbing accidents are more likely from blow torches, hot nails, etc.
- Both have negative impacts on mental health like anxiety, depression, psychosis.
- More unknowns remain about the long-term effects of both methods.
In general, vaping appears worse than dabbing in terms of addiction potential and health risks. However, dabbing cannabis concentrates is certainly not harmless either. The safest option is to avoid both if possible.
Conclusion
Dabbing potent cannabis extracts and vaping nicotine e-liquids offer very different experiences and risks. While the debate continues about which one is ultimately “worse,” current evidence indicates vaping carries higher risks of addiction and health issues. However, both practices can lead to lung damage, accidents and negative mental health effects. The safest option is to abstain from these recreational inhalation methods altogether until more definitive research is available.