What are dabs? How are dabs made, from plant to jar

How are dabs made? Makers pull the resin off the cannabis plant, either by washing it off with a solvent such as butane, propane, alcohol or carbon dioxide, or without any solvent, by sifting, using ice water, or pressing with heat. That is the list in NIDA’s concentrates fact sheet. A dab is a small amount of the resulting concentrate, dropped onto a hot surface and inhaled as vapor.

The method decides what ends up in the jar. Solvent extracts become shatter, wax, budder and live resin. Solventless work gives you kief, hash and rosin. Here is how each one gets made, what a dab setup looks like, and what to know before your first one.

Last reviewed: November 2026.

What are dabs?

Dabs is the everyday name for cannabis concentrates used with a dab rig or a similar device. NIDA notes that the word first meant butane hash oil and is now used loosely for concentrates made other ways too. The products come in a few broad looks: a gooey liquid, a soft solid with a texture like lip balm, and a hard amber glass called shatter.

What sets them apart from flower is strength. The National Institute on Drug Abuse’s 2020 fact sheet on concentrates puts solvent-based concentrates at an average of about 54% to 69% THC, with some reported above 80%. Those are national figures from the fact sheet, not a current California average. That is why a dab is small, and why NIDA points out that a dabber takes in the whole amount in a single breath.

How are dabs made with solvents?

Solvent extraction washes the resin off the plant, then takes the solvent back out. Commercial extraction in California happens at licensed manufacturers, and with volatile solvents such as butane or propane the equipment must be a certified closed-loop system that keeps the solvent sealed inside. The process runs in four stages, and you can step through them below.

The finish is where textures come from. The WHO review of cannabis extracts describes shatter as an extract spread on parchment and dried in a vacuum oven for anywhere from 45 minutes to a full day. Wax is whipped at low heat, budder is whipped less so it stays oily and soft, and honeycomb is pressed while the solvent comes off. CO2 oil is made with supercritical carbon dioxide instead of a hydrocarbon, and distillate is refined further into a clear oil.

Live resin follows the same path with one change at the start: the plants are frozen right after harvest instead of dried and cured. The WHO review says live resin is known for a flavor that resembles the aroma and taste of the plant.

How solventless dabs are made

Solventless products start with the trichomes, the tiny resin glands that coat the flower. Sift dried flower through fine screens and you collect kief, a dry powder. Heat and press kief and you get hash. Agitate plant material in ice water and the resin glands separate from the plant, which is how bubble hash is made.

Rosin is pressed with heat and high pressure until the resinous oil squeezes out as a translucent resin, and the WHO review notes that no solvent is used at any point. Live rosin is rosin pressed from ice-water hash made from fresh-frozen plants. For how these compare in flavor, price and use, see our live resin vs rosin vs distillate guide.

Why dabs are made by licensed manufacturers, not in kitchens

Butane is extremely flammable. NIDA describes people causing fires and explosions while making extracts at home, and a Colorado burn center reporting a rise in serious flash burns from amateur butane extraction. California’s DCC rules for adults allow up to six plants at home but bar using volatile solvents such as butane or propane to turn them into a product. This is general information, not legal advice.

Licensed makers run certified closed-loop systems that must keep their certification under DCC rules. Afterward, a state-licensed lab tests each batch for cannabinoids, residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals and other contaminants, and reports the results on a certificate of analysis, according to the DCC testing page. That report is the reason to buy dabs from a licensed store.

What you need to dab, and a first-time note

A traditional setup is a dab rig, a water pipe built for concentrates, with a small heated surface usually made of quartz, titanium or ceramic. The concentrate goes on the hot surface and the vapor is drawn through the water. Electronic rigs and concentrate vaporizers heat the surface for you and often let you choose a temperature. Follow the device maker’s instructions, since every model is different, and remember the surface gets hot enough to burn.

If you are new to concentrates, start with an amount far smaller than you think you need. Give the first one time to settle before you decide on another. Effects vary from person to person, and never drive after using cannabis. For the full menu of textures, from shatter to sauce, see our guide to types of concentrates, then ask a budtender at your Vibe store what fits your setup.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

• NIDA: marijuana concentrates fact sheet
• WHO expert review: extracts and tinctures of cannabis
• DCC: closed-loop extraction system checklist
• DCC: what's legal
• DCC: testing laboratories

For adults 21+ (18+ with a physician’s recommendation in California). Keep out of reach of children and pets. Do not drive or operate machinery after use.