Dabs vs joints — head-to-head, which one comes out on top? We don’t want to disappoint you, but that’s not a question we can easily answer honestly and objectively. It’s a bit like asking “which is better, Porsche or Mercedes?” While plenty of people will give surely give you their opinion on which is better, the fact is their answer will always be subjective and based on their experiences. Similarly, dabs and joints are both great! But, they provide totally different experiences.
Rather than engage in an exercise in futility, why don’t we explore the differences? Then you can try both of them and decide for yourself which one you think is better.
Dabs: What Are They?
If you’re reading this article — and obviously you are — we’re going to assume that you know what a joint is, so we’re not going to explain the obvious. But, as far as dabs go, you’ve no doubt heard of them and seen them around. But, you want a more clear idea and definition of what dabs are. So here goes:
Most dabs are highly concentrated doses of THC or CBD along with all the other cannabinoids and terpenes found in the plant they came from. Producers use a variety of extraction methods to make “dabbable” sticky oil products commonly known as budder, BHO, shatter, and wax.
The appeal of dabs is that beyond being incredibly potent, they’re also incredibly pure and they usually preserve the full-spectrum of compounds found in cannabis (including terpenes and cannabinoids).
Dabs vs Joints Consideration #1: Potency
There’s not even a debate. Hands down— because of how dabs are produced — they are by definition considerably more potent than any kind of flower. Most flower has between 10 and 25% THC, while concentrates usually range between 50 to 80% THC. However, this is a bit misleading because inhaling a dab can distribute 10 times the amount of THC as flower from a joint. That’s pretty darn potent! That’s why if you’re new to cannabis, you probably want to wait until you’ve developed a tolerance to try your hand at dabbing.
Dabs vs Joints Consideration #2: Which Tastes Better?
As one of the five senses (sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell), dabs and joints or flower appeal to all five. And there’s nothing more subjective than our senses. Some people swear by dabs, claiming the extraction process leaves the end product so pure that the taste can’t be beaten. They have a point. But, so do joint and flower lovers. There’s something to be said about smoking a joint with some of the dankest and stickiest skunk, OG, or Kush you can find and just kicking back and enjoying life!
Herbert Fuego, author of Westword’s Ask a Stoner column summarizes it best:
“Live resin and extremely well-purged concentrates can taste just as good or even better than flower itself — but unless you’re dabbing the best of the best, you’re probably not hitting anything that tastes better than cured flower out of clean glass.”
Dabs vs Joints Consideration #3: Consumption Difficulty
When it comes to consuming cannabis, joints are much easier. Rolling a joint isn’t hard (with a little practice). And if you don’t have the skills, you can always buy a pre-roll. Dabs, on the other hand, require special equipment. You’ll need an extract (e.g., shatter, budder, BHO, etc.), a water pipe, a nail, a dome, a torch, and a dabber. It’s quite a bit of equipment and it doesn’t come cheap.
There you go! At the end of the day, who really cares which is better: dabs vs joints. They’re both awesome and both have their place. Why not enjoy both of them? If you want to try some great pre-rolls, at Have a Heart we’re always running specials. And if you want to try your hand at dabbing, ask one of our budtenders for some advice. We’ve even got “newbie” or entry-level kits that don’t cost as much as more sophisticated dab setups. Find your local Have a Heart below!