Twenty years ago, the legal cannabis market was limited to medical cannabis dispensaries in a handful of states. Now, cannabis is legal (either recreationally or medically) in almost every state, including for recreational adult-use in our home state of Maryland. As a result of its widespread legalization, new products and methods of consumption have popped up over the years, one of those being concentrates and dabbing. If you’re new to the concept of concentrates, here are some of the most important terms to know.

Please note: this list is in no way an exhaustive list of dabbing terms, we’d need an entire dictionary for that! 

710 - The number 710 looks like “OIL” upside down. As such, it has come to represent dabbing. 

Banger - Typically constructed from a single piece of quartz crystal, a banger is used in tandem with a waterpipe (rig, or bong) to heat concentrates and deliver the vapor through your waterpipe to your mouth. The anatomy of the banger includes the bucket, where your concentrates are heated, and then the joint, which will connect your waterpipe.

Budder/butter/badder - Budder is wax with higher moisture content, and its consistency is oily and malleable. This product normally uses cured flower as the input ingredient.

Butane extraction - A method of extraction that uses butane. 

Butane hash oil (BHO) - A type of high-potency concentrate that’s made using butane as a solvent. BHO comes in various consistencies and is the most commonly used extract for dabbing. 

Butane torch - Also referred to as a dab torch, it heats a dab nail to a high enough temperature to vaporize dabs. Although patients can use other methods, using a torch is very common due to its ease of use.

Cannabinoids - General name for a group of chemical compounds found in cannabis. THC is one of the most commonly known cannabinoids, but other cannabinoids include CBD, CBN, and THCA.

Carb cap - This device limits the airflow to the dab, resulting in better heat retention, lower air pressure, and thicker vapor quality. 

Concentrates - These are the potent extracts used for dabbing. The individual extracts on this list (badder, shatter, sauce, wax, etc.) are collectively referred to as concentrates. 

CO2 extraction - CO2 uses high heat and high pressures to get the gas to supercritical temperatures so it can be an extractable liquid solvent. 

Crumble - A concentrate that’s very dry and crumbles. It resembles cookie crumbs or pie crust. 

Dabbing - The process of smoking concentrates. 

Dabs - The informal name for cannabis concentrates. 

Dab rig - Also referred to as an oil rig, a dab rig is a water pipe with dabbing attachments. It looks like a bong, but instead of a bowl it has a nail or banger made from quartz, titanium, or ceramic. 

Dab mat- A rubber mat that keeps a dab rig secure on a table. 

Dab torch- A small propane or butane torch used to gently heat the quartz glass banger of a dab rig. 

Dab tool- A tool used to make dab rigs easier to use. They’re used to apply concentrate to dab nails.

Diamonds - Crystals that are formed via heat and pressure when curing sauce. 

Extraction - The process of separating the desired natural products from raw materials. Extraction can be solvent-based or solventless. 

Extracts - Another term for cannabis concentrates or dabs. They’re called extracts because they’re extracted from cannabis buds via various extraction methods. 

Hash - Hashish originates from the Arabic language and has been around for thousands of years. Hash refers to the extract created from the plant's resinous trichomes using solventless extraction methods.

Kief - Kief is the loose trichomes from the cannabis flower that are collected while it is being trimmed or processed. It can be pressed into dry sift rosin, infused into edibles or tinctures, and can be added into pre-rolled joints or on top of bowls containing flower to give a more potent experience. 

Live resin - Uses frozen cannabis material so the end product has robust terpene and cannabinoid profiles that resemble the qualities of a live cannabis plant. 

Nail - The part of a dab rig where the cannabis extract is placed, after which it is heated and rapidly vaporized. Nails come in many sizes and styles, are usually made from quartz, titanium, or ceramic, and are used in conjunction with a dome. 

Oil - Broad term used to refer to many kinds of cannabis concentrates, many of which have an oil-like consistency. 

Pressed hash - Slang for concentrated cannabis that’s mechanically extracted. 

Reclaim - Residue leftover after dabbing or smoking that is then reused. 

Resin - Resin is the plant’s way of defending itself from predators. It’s found in the plant's trichomes and contains the active compounds of the plant that can be extracted off.

Rosin - Produced by removing the THCA-rich resin concentrate through a combo of heat and pressure. Unlike many of the other concentrates on this list, rosin is extracted via a solventless technique. 

Sauce - A byproduct of making diamonds. 

Shatter - Made using butane or other hydrocarbons, shatter gets its name from its delicate consistency -- it can quite literally shatter if you aren’t careful. It contains 70-80% THC. 

Solvent - The chemical compounds (butane, alcohol, propane) that are used to strip cannabinoids and terpenes from the plants to create concentrates. 

Solventless - Concentrates that are made without chemicals. These concentrates are produced via heat, manual pressure, and water. 

Sugar - Has the consistency of wet sugar and is chemically extracted from dried flower or fresh frozen cannabis plants. 

Terpenes - The compounds found in the cannabis plant that produce flavor and aroma. They can be cannabis-derived or synthetic. 

Wax - Wax has been agitated during the extraction process, causing the oil to crystallize and solidify into a thick, malleable consistency that resembles ear wax. 

Learn more about dabbing

Now that you know the basics, you may want to learn more about concentrates. To learn more, read Wax, Rosin, Shatter & Resin: An Education in Cannabis Concentrates or Dabbing Basics: FAQs before heading into our Baltimore dispensary to discuss our wide selection of high-quality cannabis extracts with one of our patient coordinators.