I came across this article yesterday on dabbing. I hadn’t heard of it before, so I was curious. Dabbing is a new method of smoking pot that gets you the quickest, long-lasting high with just one inhale. That’s right – one drag from a pipe or vaping pen can give the effect of smoking many joints.
On the website, Parents Opposed to Pot (POPPOT), they say that “Dabbing is to marijuana as crack is to cocaine.” They go on to say that the addiction from dabbing can be immediate, and once you do it “is nearly impossible to get unhooked.”
So how are “Dabs” made? According to the POPPOT website, “Dabbers take a tiny bit of butane hash oil, BHO – hardened or buttery, and quickly light it up in a small compartment.” The site explains how the THC is extracted from the plant using butane gas and some type of glass tube. THC is what causes a high. By extracting the THC into an oil (hash oil is known for giving a quick and lasting high) or buttery wax that hardens, you can then break it into tiny pieces that give a high that will last all day.
In states like Colorado where pot is legal, parents are fearful that legalization of the drug is why it is now showing up in middle school. We don’t have studies to confirm this, but I think the parents are right to assume this.
NJ.com reported in an article in September 2015, “According to a 2014 study by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, cigarette smoking by teens is down, but marijuana use has held its own and nearly 45% of the over 41,000 teens polled for the study reported that they’d smoked pot by the time they reached 12th grade, with an alarming number beginning as early as eighth grade.”
Angelo Valente, Executive Director of the Millburn-based Partnership for a Drug-Free New Jersey told NJ.com, “Kids are starting with pot younger and younger and middle school is a pivotal age for experimentation with pot, alcohol, and tobacco, especially when middle and high schools are located on the same campus.”
What I can say to parents is to know what dabbing is, know the signs and symptoms of drug use to watch for with your kids, and seek advice from a professional when you have concerns. Why should parents worry? Dabbing is new, it’s dangerous, it’s highly addictive, and it can result in injury and death.
LINKS
Kids exposed to marijuana at a younger age, experts say — NJ.com
What is “Dabbing” and Why Parents Need to Worry
DISCLAIMER
Information contained in this blog is intended for educational purposes only. It is not intended as medical or psychiatric advice for individual conditions or treatment and does not substitute for a medical or psychiatric examination. A psychiatrist must make a determination about any treatment or prescription. Dr. Paul does not assume any responsibility or risk for the use of any information contained within this blog.
