Category: Marijuana

Cannabis dabbing is an emerging trend that utilizes sticky resin or residue to create a stronger high. Cannabis dabbing enables teens to extract higher concentrations of THC from the same amount of cannabis than through conventional smoking. This can have long-term effects on teens and adults alike. 

Dabbing refers to inhaling the smoke of a concentrated “dab” of cannabis oil or cannabis resin, which typically amounts to a much higher concentration of THC from the same plant or amount of dried cannabis. Dabs can be prepared alone or purchased from specialty shops, and usually have a sticky brown appearance, like sap or resin.

A dab is prepared through a variety of different methods, and each will have their own levels of THC concentration. Some cannabis enthusiasts design or sell devices built to extract a specific kind of residue from dried cannabis for dabbing. Others purchase dabs from stores that manufacture them from their own product.

Some of the methods of acquiring a cannabis dab can be dangerous, but the main health risk of dabbing is the inhalation of a much higher concentration of THC, or tetrahydrocannabinol. THC is the psychoactive component in cannabis, and it is what gives cannabis its characteristic high. 

While THC cannot cause death by overdose, excessive amounts of THC consumption can trigger high levels of anxiety, or trigger a psychotic episode (as in, symptoms of psychosis, such as disorientation, dissociation, and hallucination). Higher concentrations of THC can also put users in danger if they try to drive or operate heavy machinery. 

Dabbing is growing in popularity among young adults and teens. While recreational marijuana usage is selectively legalized in the United States, there are still health risks associated with long-term cannabis usage, and it is illegal for teens to purchase or use marijuana. Nevertheless, teens with access to the drug may use cannabis dabs rather than smoking the dried material itself. 

How is Dabbing Performed? 

There is no specific standard for isolating the resin or oil in cannabis, although multiple different methods have sprung up over recent years. Dabbing is an umbrella term that refers to the inhalation of most cannabis concentrates, usually through heating up the concentrate directly or indirectly, and inhaling the resulting vapors. 

Cannabis concentrates can be prepared through water-based processing, dry processing, dry ice-based processing, and solvent-based processing. Solvent-based processing utilizes different chemicals, most commonly lighter fluid (butane), but also ether, alcohol, or propane. Some people use a nonflammable solvent, such as carbon dioxide. 

Solvent-based preparation methods are popular because they are relatively simple to execute at home. They require the use of a tube, a solvent, and a filtering device. The dried cannabis is inserted in a tube and mixed with a solvent, and most of the solvent is removed through the filter to leave behind the residue once finished. The resulting residue is mostly free from the solvent because most volatile solvents evaporate completely over time, leaving only the concentrate behind. 

Butane-prepared cannabis concentrate is also known as butane hash oil and has a variety of common names such as amber, black glass, wax, shatter, budder, or butane honey oil. Some of these names differ depending on the color and consistency of the resulting product – it can vary from runny, to waxy, to crystalline. 

Once the cannabis concentrate is created or acquired, it can be lit and consumed in a variety of ways. Some involve using a blowtorch to heat water and create a vapor stream to heat the concentrate on a specialized dish. Others utilize heated metal, such as a nail or curling iron, to create a vapor. There are also electronic devices specifically designed for cannabis concentrates. Different temperatures create different kinds of vapor or smoke. 

What Are the Long-Term Effects of Dabbing?

There are a number of concerns and risks associated with dabbing. The first and most severe risk is the risk of fire. While instructions for creating solvent-based dabs are available throughout the internet, improper handling of a solvent is a serious fire hazard. 

There have been reports of multiple deaths due to improper preparation of a cannabis dab at home. Improper storage of cannabis for creating concentrates can also result in the inhalation or ingestion of dangerous microbes and fungi. Furthermore, improper dabbing can also involve solvent inhalation. Inhaling solvents can be dangerous for the brain and lungs. 

Why High Levels of THC Are Dangerous

Aside from the risks of preparing cannabis concentrates, the consumption of cannabis dabs can also be harmful. Some teens are more susceptible to the risks of psychosis via high concentrations of THC and may not realize that consuming concentrated THC may trigger their symptoms. 

There is also medical literature detailing acute and chronic lung impairment due to butane hash oil consumption, as well as damage to the heart. 

Research also shows that repetitive consumption of high levels of THC can impair cognition and cause short-term memory loss. Teenage brains may be more susceptible to these risks, due to being in development. While rare, recurring cannabis usage can also lead to withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, irritability, depression, tremors, loss of appetite, and abdominal pain. 

Cannabis is generally seen as a safer drug than alcohol or other hard drugs. But dabbing enables people to consume far higher concentrations of THC than normal, whereas THC levels in cannabis products have already been increasing rapidly over the past two decades. Teens today have access to far more THC than previous generations, and these new methods can prove dangerous in both the short- and long-term. 

If you or someone you know is frequently consuming concentrated cannabis, be sure that they understand the risks, especially if they are underage. Teens mistake cannabis as being risk-free, but it can result in both psychological and physical damage. 

We at Visions help teens through our residential treatment programs. If your teen has been struggling to stop using cannabis, we can work with them to help them overcome their addiction. Give us a call today to find out more.  

If you’ve ever had a foot in the door of modern marijuana culture, you might have heard about the hype surrounding dabbing and might be worried about the potential side effects of dabbing, especially versus other forms of marijuana consumption. 

In essence, a dab is a small amount of concentrated cannabis consumed via a specialized device or homemade dabbing setup. Dabbing involves the use of cannabis rosin, the distilled concentration of a cannabis bud’s sap, usually through a heating element like an iron, or more sophisticated methods, such as extracting the oil through a pressurized, high-temperature setup. It’s named a dab because all it takes is just a small amount or a “dab”. 

To someone with a lot of experience smoking pot, dabbing might be considered a “step up”, as it isolates the psychoactive element of cannabis, THC. Among inexperienced or first-time users, the results of a dab will usually be different and more severe than a blunt or a joint. However, teens and adults who regularly dab are consuming much higher amounts of THC than most. The side effects of dabbing may range from a potent but short-term high to an increase in anxiety, or even dissociation, psychosis, and an increased risk of addiction. 

Common Side Effects of Dabbing

To bring it to a point, dabbing involves the consumption of concentrated cannabis, utilizing a fairly simple method (usually heating a dried bud or flower) to extract and smoke a sticky resin with a much higher concentration of THC than normal.

The use of THC can make operating heavy machinery – like driving a car – dangerous and life-threatening. It can also affect memory and problem-solving, with both short-term and long-term negative effects on cognition after long use. 

While not a hallucinogen, high levels of THC have also been linked to exacerbating the risk of an episode of psychosis. THC use can be dangerous for teens or people with a history of dissociative disorders or conditions such as schizophrenia. In even larger doses – which is hard to do with the raw plant, but much easier to do with dabbing – the use of THC can even result in hallucinations and a loss of personal identity. 

How To Identify a Dabbing Setup

There are dedicated products and paraphernalia designed to facilitate dabbing, whether to help convert the wax or “shatter” (a glass-like form of concentrated marijuana) into its inhalable vapor, or to help extract wax or cannabis rosin from a bud or plant. 

Something to watch out for is a dab rig. This usually involves a glass pipe with a metal element for heating. A blowtorch or lighter is used to heat the metal until it becomes red hot, at which point the concentrate can be applied to the metal, and the resulting vapors can be inhaled through the glass. A metal tool, like a dental pick or dental scraper, is used to apply the dab to the heated metal on the rig. 

Certain dabbing pens are designed to heat a dab when inserted into the pen and look much like any other form of vape or e-cigarette. In these cases, it’s important to keep an eye out for extraction tools or a small vial or case of concentrate. 

On the most basic level, teens can create marijuana wax with household objects, such as a flat iron and some parchment paper. More advanced and dangerous forms of extraction include butane hash oil extraction. Both a heating element and a pressurized vacuum are required, making it an involved and volatile process, with multiple instances of property damage, injury, and even death due to butane canister explosions. 

What Are the Special Risks of Dabbing? 

For those who willingly go through the trouble of dabbing, the touted benefits from a consumer standpoint include a stronger flavor, quicker onset of the targeted high, and the argument that inhaling the vapors of an extract is safer than the burnt hot smoke of a joint or blunt, which can cause buildup in the lungs.

But as with any strong psychoactive drug, higher levels of THC can introduce a considerable risk for the nervous system, especially in teens. While not toxic, THC temporarily disrupts parts of the brain responsible for coordination and concentration, as well as time perception and cognition. 

Teen Substance Abuse Treatment 

At Visions, we often hear parents ask about the specific health risks associated with dabbing, over other methods of cannabis consumption. 

It’s important to remember that drugs can enter the bloodstream through a variety of different methods, but certain methods will result in a higher concentration of a given drug in the body than others. Eating will result in less of a drug entering the bloodstream than inhaling or injecting the same amount, for example. 

Unlike edibles or orally consumable cannabis oils, dabbing allows teens to smoke and inhale concentrated THC. In both experienced and inexperienced users, this can result in a higher likelihood of severe or negative side effects than other methods of cannabis consumption and may increase the risk of addiction. 

We also receive questions about dependence. Yes, marijuana dependence does exist, and cannabis can be addictive. Generally speaking, consuming more potent drugs will increase the risk of dependence. 

As for how long the side effects of dabbing last, that depends on the amount that was used, the concentration of THC in the original plant, as well as the user’s own experience and tolerance for cannabinoids. 

If you’re worried about a loved one’s drug use or want to talk to a professional about treatment options or staging an intervention, get in touch with us at Visions to learn more about our marijuana treatment programs, our treatment modalities for drug use, and co-occurring disorders, as well as our residential treatment options for teens. 

Conclusion

Dabbing is nothing new, but it may be on the rise as dab rigs and dab pens become more readily available, making it easier to consume concentrated cannabis without a self-engineered setup. Parents and teens worried about the side effects of dabbing should beware that it can result in a higher risk of addiction, as well as a greater risk of psychosis than other forms of marijuana consumption. 

So, you found out that your teen is using weed. Maybe you’ve suspected it for a while but weren’t sure. Or maybe you had no idea and caught them in the act, or heard about it from a friend of theirs, or a teacher. Or, less likely, but best of all: your teen told you. 

Regardless of your personal feelings towards marijuana, there are undeniable risks associated with marijuana use among teens.

For one, there’s the risk of legal repercussions. Then, there are the actual effects of marijuana use among teens. While weed is less addictive than nicotine or alcohol, there is an undeniable amount of evidence that points toward the long-term cognitive and psychological impact of marijuana use among teens.

Furthermore, smoking weed – as opposed to eating it, or using cannabis oils – still poses a risk to the lungs, even if inhaled in vapor form (bongs or vaping devices). 

But while these worries are justified, expressing them erratically or jumping to angry judgment may alienate your teen from you, destroy the opportunity for dialogue, and affect your chances of helping them seek treatment if necessary. 

Why It’s Important to Stay Calm

An estimated 37 percent of high school students have tried marijuana at some point in their lives. Very few of them went on to struggle with long-term addiction, whether to marijuana or any other substance. 

While being vigilant is important, especially if you had no idea your teen was using drugs of any kind, it’s also important not to blow things out of proportion or risk pushing your teen away in an emotional tirade. 

For one, reacting angrily or with any amount of vitriol will discourage your teen from coming forward with any information about what they’ve been doing. You’re effectively telling your teen: “Don’t tell me the truth, I will freak out”. 

It’s normal to feel anxious or freaked out. It’s also normal to feel angry in these circumstances. Even if you aren’t particularly worried about the long-term impact of a single instance of youthful experimentation, any parent would be upset about the risk their teen has taken, or the fact that they probably did so in total secret. 

But teens aren’t the most rational or understanding individuals. If you reflect their decision to tell you – or the revelation itself – with an emotional outburst, their first instinct will be to act defensive, and resolve not to tell you about anything else they’ve done in fear of retaliation. 

Think things through. First, you will need to understand the extent of your teen’s drug use. You will need to know how bad things have gotten, and the complete scope of the issue. That’s impossible without winning and keeping your teen’s trust. And that means letting them know that you’re not here to judge them, but to help them. 

There’s No Point in Blame

When something bad happens, our first instinct is to understand why it happened. More to the point, we want someone or something to blame. Sadly, things rarely ever pan out in such a way that a single person or factor can realistically take all of the blame. There are a million nuanced factors that affect a person’s judgment in any given time, especially the judgment of a teenager, which can vary wildly from moment to moment. 

The decision to try a drug like marijuana as a teenager is based on movies and pop culture, parental feelings and history towards drug use, peer choices, individual susceptibility to social pressure, a teen’s sense of self-worth and identity among the community, victimization, personal popularity, their mental state at the time, a teen’s personality and ability to assess risk, knowledge of drugs and their effects, and attitudes towards authority. 

Rather than figure out which factor among a list of potential factors was the most important, it may be more productive to concentrate on protective factors which help reduce a teen’s likelihood of drug use.

These include the following:

• Better coping mechanisms for social and school-based stressors.
• Access to mental health resources at school and in the community.
• A closer bond with the community.
• A positive parent-child relationship.
• Positive parental involvement in a teen’s interests, hobbies, and school life.
• Better and more accurate drug education.

Protective factors aren’t just relevant before teens try drugs. They continue to be relevant even in the treatment of addiction, where they can help a teen focus on sobriety and recovery. 

Why Teens Aren’t Worried About Marijuana

Context matters. When we hear of a string of violent crimes, we don’t take into consideration that news media has changed our perception of the world around us, leading us to forget that, while the streets seem less safe, they’re statistically safer than ever before, especially for kids. 

In that vein, it’s important not to lose sight of the fact that today’s generation is using fewer drugs than previous generations, and is less likely to engage in risky behavior, such as unprotected sex or drunk driving. 

Marijuana is an exception. While kids are smoking less, drinking less, and using less ecstasy, they’re still smoking weed at a steady rate. In fact, marijuana is the most commonly used federally illegal drug in the US. Nearly every fifth person in the country smoked weed at some point by 2019. 

There may be a few reasons why teens aren’t that worried about weed. For one, weed has been massively criminalized and weed use has been disproportionately punished for decades, specifically targeting people of color. Teens today are more aware of the US’ history of racial prejudice, and the role that the war on drugs played in continuing to widen the chasm of opportunity between white and black citizens. 

The exaggerations of the effects of marijuana on the mind and body during the DARE era, and the adult hypocrisy of the widespread usage of marijuana despite fearmongering of its properties as a gateway drug also served to seriously disarm a lot of the arguments against marijuana usage. 

Teens were never really afraid of weed and most of the tactics designed to heighten that fear resulted in no effect or higher rates of marijuana use. That tells us something very important: teens will continuously question what you tell them, especially if they feel like it attempts to cover up a hypocrisy of some sort.  

When addressing your teen’s weed usage, don’t exaggerate or lie. Stick to what’s true: long-term use of marijuana impacts memory and cognition, effectively reducing intelligence, and even raising the risk of symptoms of depression and anxiety. While it may not be as addictive as heroin or pose anywhere near the same immediate risk of overdose as fentanyl, it’s not a safe substance, especially for someone at the very beginning of their entire adult life.

Consider a Professional Intervention

Many kids never try drugs. Some kids really do try a drug once or twice, and then never again. Some kids smoke or drink for a while but quit when college gets rough, and their focus on studies cuts into social time. Others struggle much more with their drug use, to the point that they begin developing signs of addiction.

It’s important to keep an eye out for these signs and to consider a professional intervention, sooner rather than later.

While drug use has continued to drop off in most age groups, marijuana has become more popular than ever and continues to be the most used federally illegal drug in the US.

However, just because it is federally illegal doesn’t mean it is completely off-limits – more than 16 states have legalized recreational marijuana, and over 30 states allow the use of medical marijuana, which is part of the reason why it continues to grow in usage in comparison to other substances.

There is a myriad of reasons why the legalization of marijuana is a good thing, especially in the context of the damage its criminalization has done to minority communities and the immense costs of the futile drug-on wars. But policy aside, marijuana remains a controlled substance federally and is prohibited for use among children and teens under 18 years of age.

There are multiple pieces of research pointing towards the long-term negative effects of marijuana use and the existence of marijuana use disorder. Just because it is becoming legal in multiple states doesn’t make it harmless – and just because some people argue that it is less dangerous than certain other substances doesn’t make it so.

Is Marijuana Dangerous?

Marijuana, or cannabis, is a product derived mostly from treated Cannabis indica or Cannabis sativa plants. Different strains come with different characteristic effects and flavors, but most of the differences between types of marijuana can be attributed to either being a Sativa strain or an Indica strain.

The main active component in either type of plant is tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), a cannabinoid with psychoactive effects. Modern-day cannabis is usually bred to produce more or less THC, depending on its uses. Aside from the raw product or treated and dried component, cannabis is also sold and consumed in the form of hash oil, hashish, hash butter, and hemp oil (low THC). In most cases, cannabis is harvested for its leaves and flowering buds.

The effects of THC vary from person to person, in both quality and severity. In general, marijuana use leads to relaxation and euphoria, increased appetite, giggling, and mild changes in visual and aural perception. Increased dosages or increased potency can lead to stronger and more potent changes in perception. Outside of high dosages or concentrated THC, these are relatively rare.

The dangers of marijuana come from both its long-term health problems, consuming both marijuana and alcohol, as well as its effects on perception.

People with pre-existing mental health problems, particularly episodes of psychosis, or a history of schizophrenia, are more likely to trigger a hallucinatory event when consuming marijuana. Marijuana may also make operating heavy machinery much more dangerous, like any intoxicating substance.

Because marijuana has a calming and physically depressive effect, it may compound uniquely with alcohol to induce a dangerous level of memory impairment, difficulty breathing, and paranoia. While most people experience euphoria while taking marijuana, it can also have the opposite effect in some cases, inducing high levels of stress and anxiety.

Finally, the long-term effects of marijuana are still being studied but may include decreased cognitive capacity, memory impairment, lung and throat problems, worsening symptoms of mental illness, and addiction.

There are no confirmed instances of a marijuana overdose, but marijuana can be an influencing factor in different causes of death, including polydrug-induced respiratory failure, vaping injuries or illnesses, and car accidents. Furthermore, high concentration THC marijuana can send people to the emergency room, but it’ll usually be due to severe levels of anxiety, psychotic episodes, or nausea.

First responders called when people take too much marijuana state that the cause is usually an edible rather than smoking the drug. Young children, however, are particularly at risk of eating an edible and becoming violently ill.

Medical Applications for Marijuana

CBD (cannabidiol) has seen much research as a potential medical drug and is legal under federal law. The first FDA-approved use of a cannabinoid was as an antiseizure drug in the treatment of epilepsy. So far, only one other cannabinoid has been approved for medical use, and that is dronabinol. While THC remains illegal, studies have shown that medical marijuana is potentially beneficial for:

• Alzheimer’s disease
• Crohn’s disease
• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
• Glaucoma
• Multiple sclerosis
• Cancer treatment-related nausea
• Severe chronic pain

In most cases, medical marijuana may be bred to include lower levels of THC. State-specific qualifications for obtaining medical marijuana differ from state to state. If you do consider using marijuana for medical purposes, beware of its side effects and addiction potential.

How Much Marijuana is Too Much?

Like any other drug, it is impossible to determine a proper limiting dosage to prevent addictive effects. Some people can use marijuana on occasion for years and stop using it forever. Others might struggle to moderate their usage after a few months and end up dependent on the drug for decades.

If used at the behest of a medical professional, limit your dosage strictly to what is prescribed, even when using a low THC strain. Your own predisposition towards THC may be stronger or weaker than average, changing its relative dangerousness.

In any case, THC (and marijuana in general) is an addictive substance and an intoxicating substance.

Signs of Marijuana Use Disorder

Marijuana use disorder may occur in roughly 9 to 30 percent of people who use marijuana regularly. People who use the drug before the age of 18 are up to seven times more likely to develop an addiction. Marijuana use disorder has the same symptoms as other forms of a substance use disorder, namely:

• Inability to quit (constant relapse)
• Hiding marijuana use
• Becoming defensive over their habit
• Struggling at school or at work due to marijuana
• Consuming marijuana much more frequently than normal

Withdrawal symptoms of marijuana include anxiety, loss of appetite, restlessness/insomnia, and irritability.

Seeking Treatment for Marijuana Use Disorder

Treatment for a marijuana use disorder is often necessary, as a common criterion for a substance use disorder is the inability to quit. Teens and adults with marijuana use problems can opt between inpatient or outpatient treatment depending on the severity of their case and their circumstances.

Treatment for a marijuana use disorder begins with detoxification and therapy. Behavioral support is an important element, rewarding people who stay drug-free and providing relevant motivational incentives.

While there are no medications to help treat marijuana use disorder, a patient who began using as a result of their mental health issues (self-medication) will be treated with medication and talk therapy to help them develop healthier coping skills and better long-term stress management options.