Written By Daniel Cina
The stoner community can see its greatest division in the choice between two methods of smoking. That’s right I’m talking about the two powerhouses of the cannabis game and an argument as old as Cheech and Chong. Today we will be talking about the differences in flower vs dabs. While both providing amazing elevation, these two methods of smoking are highly different in the method of smoking, the type of smoke produced, and the elevation it produces.
Whether flower vs. dabs is supreme will likely be an argument between stoners for the rest of eternity, they both provide advantages and disadvantages that make the usage choice up to your preference as a cannabis enthusiast. We will be focusing on this in order to help you discover which side you are on in the great flower vs. dabs debate. Of course you can also be in my camp on the subject and say forget about the notion of flower vs. dabs because you own both a bong and a dab rig. If that is the case then congrats, you’re ahead of the game!
Flower vs Dabs: Inherent Differences
The first difference in flower vs dabs is very obvious. One smoking method involves cannabis in its flower form. Grown, harvested, trimmed, and sent off to be ground and smoked, flower is the most traditional form and arguably the most natural form of enjoying cannabis. It is the way people have enjoyed cannabis for millennia and has dominated cannabis usage through the 20 century, until the invention of (you guessed it) dabs! 
First appearing on the scene around the 1970’s dabs over the years have become the next most dominant form of smoking whether it be with glass or cartridges. These cannabinoid packed resins are pressed from the flower typically through Butane Hash Oil extraction, for a beautiful and potent concentrate that is free from all the carbon material and plant matter that flower possesses.
Flower vs Dabs: How To Smoke Them
Flower vs. dabs produce very different types of smoke due to the way that they must be consumed for the best elevation. Flower produces your old fashioned leaning, traditional type of smoke. Smoking flower literally produces smoke at its most basic dictionary definition which is the visible suspension of carbon particles in the air due to a burning substance. The reason for this with flower is that the plant material burns at a certain temperature from your lighter, which produces smoke (THCA Decarboxylation). In simple summation, it burns like anything would burn if you threw it in a fire.
Smoking flower typically done from a bong, pipe, or joint and has been considered over the years as less clean than dabs due to the excess of carbon and plant matter being smoked. While dabs as a form of smoking is inherently cleaner (i’ll get to the why soon), with proper glass maintenance flower remains the quintessential form of enjoying cannabis and has throughout history.
Wax concentrates in this great debate of flower vs dabs is a very different form of smoking that requires a torch, glass banger, and rig that is typically very different from a bong (There are hybrid pieces but I find that specialized pieces help produce higher quality elevation). The torch heats up the nail to a very high heat (typically over 300 degrees Fahrenheit) and when the concentrate hits the high temperature glass banger it turns into a vapor to be smoked.
The difference in vapor vs smoke is that vapor is a solid in its gaseous phase meaning there is no carbon being inhaled when dabbing which is not as hard on your lungs. This is why wax in the flower vs dabs debate can be considered a cleaner form of smoking, but realistically, to me at least, the important factor in this is glass cleanliness. I can say from personal experience in flower vs. dabs that whether it be bong or rig, if the piece you are using is dirty, then flower vs dabs is irrelevant cause it’ll be a gnarly experience across the board.
There are a number of different pieces you can use for flower, dabs or like I said even both. Your local Nectar is stocked with high quality Special K and Grav glass for all your flower needs. We also carry the awesome Mj Arsenal Mini Rig Series for flavor packed dabs.
Whatever glass you choose in this flower vs dabs debate be sure you get all the necessary accessories and essentials to make the process effective and convenient. Special K, Grav and Mj Arsenal are dedicated to high quality glass products for your elevation so take advantage of the fact that they are easily and readily available for purchase at your local Nectar instead of dealing with annoying online shipping. Why wait 2-3 weeks when you could be using one today?
Flower vs Dabs: Difference in Elevation
Flower vs Dabs are very different in the type of elevation that they provide, and I personally would say their different elevations provide different advantages. Flower on average is typically way less potent than dabs. The reasoning for this can be attributed to the fact that flower when consumed possesses all the plant material and carbon, while dabs are an isolated form of cannabis (hence the term concentrates).
The B.H.O process to make dabs isolates all the cannabinoids into a concentrate that is free from excess plant materials and carbon. While flower can be anywhere from 5-40% THC, dabs can be anywhere from 50-99% THC. The fact that flower vs. dabs have a major dichotomy in THC percentage means that we are dealing with two inherently different types of elevation that I will do my best to navigate for you with my personal experience.
When I have a toke on some flower from my trusty bong, I am usually at my smoking area for a bit. The reason for this is because I’ll usually have a few bowls to reach my desired elevation due to flower having a lower THC percentage than dabs.
Nothing out of the ordinary here, but when comparing experiences smoking flower to me is like a low and slow simmer leading to my elevation. The elevation for me rolls in gradually and progresses like a snowball rolling getting bigger and bigger until I am sufficiently high. The high I get tends to last for a while and slowly dissipates over time. It’s a great choice for me when I want to feel that awesome stoned feeling for an extended period of time to enjoy whatever I am doing with my awesome flower elevation.
In this great flower vs dabs debate, wax provides an equally awesome but very different elevation for me. While my flower elevation is like a low and slow simmer, the elevation I get from dabs is like getting smacked across the face with a frying pan. The elevation I gain from dabbing is much more intense and vivid than flower. When dabbing, I typically just take one due to the potency, and a small amount is all that’s needed. Truthfully if you are a less seasoned stoner (newbie stoners click here) be careful with dabs as the chances to green out are way higher but I digress.
While dabs often smack me across the face(in a good way), the elevation typically does not last as long. Where a flower elevation might last me 3-4 hours, the elevation I get from dabs is typically 1-2 hours. It’s essentially the difference of speed between a candle and a flare burning in terms of the elevation from flower vs dabs. When I want a more vivid elevation, but don’t want to experience it for an extended period of time, then dabs are most definitely my go to form of cannabis.
Flower vs Dabs In Summation
The flower vs dabs debate will probably continue for as long as we exist, and I find it important to know their differences and points of comparison as the two most popular forms of cannabis consumption. Depending on the type of elevation you desire, flower vs dabs can be an easy or hard choice for you. As someone who greatly enjoys both, it can definitely be hard to choose sometimes. Maybe instead of thinking about it as flower vs dabs, we should be thinking about it as flower and dabs.
To me they both have earned their place on a stoners elevation menu, and depending on the smoking situation each have their advantages and disadvantages. What most importantly needs to be considered is the quality of your glass and your cannabis products as well. High quality cannabis means a higher quality elevation regardless of method. Be Stop by your local Nectar from some premium flower such as Sunshine Weed Co. and AVO or try some pristine dabs from Higher Cultures and Oregrown!
