Today we're looking at a new-fangled type of concentrate called DabTabs! They're available in Maryland's medical marijuana program from the Nature's Heritage brand, licensed locally by Kind Therapeutics.
This is the second product from KT that I like- the Nature's Heritage shatter I've had ain't half bad, neither. We've had to reject a couple of their other items so I'm excited to find one I don't have to go on about like an unhinged lunatic. I have several hinges, I'll have you know. SEVERAL!!!
(Psst. You can skip to my verdict on DabTabs if you want)
Who Is Nature's Heritage?
Kind Therapeutics produces flowers, concentrate, vapes, and RSO under the Nature's Heritage label in Maryland. We went over this in further detail in my review of Kind Therapeutics' Kalm FUSION chewable tablets. Neither KT nor MariMed, the company they license their product lines from, have sent any Terminators my way that I know of. But we must remain vigilant! The future of humanity is at stake! Mine, specifically, but humanity nonetheless.
Unless it turns out that my dad is actually a living planet, in which case it's sayonara suckers I'm getting my own spaceship and a ragtag crew of intergalactic mercenaries and flying off this stupid planet PDQ. Speaking of blasting off...
What's a DabTab?
Ok so this is one of the coolest product ideas I've come across in a while. Instead of a bunch of goo or finicky shatter, the concentrate is packed into these little cubes of natural, mineral-based ceramic. Well, they're hexagons, really, but I didn't want you to get it confused with the name I use for rap battles, MC Sextagon.
Anyway, the DabTab material doesn't melt. Their site explains that these pucks are engineered to hold a specific volume of extract (and rated safe enough to be used in drinking water filtration). You're dabbing the concentrate out of them. The tab is finished when it looks toasted. Best of all, there's no mess to clean up afterwards!
DabTabs come with an instruction booklet, but you'll want to look at the downloadable How To guide direct from their site so you can view the recommendations for your specific device. They also come with a pair of tongs for handling the tabs, which is important. They do get hot.
DabTabs Taste
I tested out this product both in a rig (bong specifically used for extracts) and in a wax pen. The APX Pulsar wax pen is interesting cuz it has three (quartz) coils unlike the usual 2. I figured that'd help me reach the high temperatures specified in the DabTabs How To guide.
The Gentleman procured a sativa strain called Sunshine Daydream for this review at the GreenLabs dispensary in Baltimore cuz I like shiny new things as much as the next bird.
Nature's Heritage product certainly tastes like the full-spectrum extract claimed on their site. It doesn't taste great, but it does taste natural, and is consistent with the flavor of the Nature's Heritage RSO I had a while back. It was alright- not amazing, but in the acceptable range.
What that tells me, though, is that any fault in the DabTabs flavor is due to the extract used and not the tab material.
DabTabs with a Rig
My first trials were on the rig. I don't think I found the sweet spot I was looking for here. There are separate instructions for thin and thick-walled quartz bangers. Without an e-nail to set a specific temperature, however, it's still a matter of guesswork to get dialed in. FYI, there's only ten tabs in each package, so you don't get many guesses.
If I followed the thick-wall instructions to the letter- heating til glowing red, waiting for it to cool, dropping the tab into the banger, and covering with the carb cap immediately- I got a decent hit, but it's a bit light. Enough potency to feel it, but not comparable to a full, body-rockin' dab. I could do this 2-3 times before the DabTab cashed.
When I ignored the instructions and heated the puck up at the same time as the banger, I got a very strong hit, but the taste is awful. Don't do this. You can see the difference in the photo below:
- full blast dab is the piece of charcoal to the far left
- following instructions cobblestone is inside-left
- Wax pen crispy uneven toast is inside-right
- Unused is far right
DabTabs with a Wax Pen
Finally the lightbulb came on that DabTabs would be ideal for use with a wax pen. My chief complaint with pens is how quickly they get gunked up. But DabTabs don't leave any gunk, baby!
Even with a triple-coiled pen, I found it necessary to heat the pucks for around 5-6 seconds before taking a draw. I'm not sure how your more standard double-coiled pens would fare with DabTabs, but I achieved good, flavorful draws with the APX Pulsar. Still cashes out around 3-4 hits.
DabTabs Effects
Sunshine Daydream is billed as a sativa but that wasn't my experience at all. Even with the lighter rips from the rig, the couch beckons. I tried a DabTab in the pen before heading out over the weekend, promptly changed my mind, and stayed inside to binge Attack on Titan instead. I avoided the show forever cuz the name sounds like a space sci-fi. Now that I know it's about people getting eaten by creepy, grinning giants, I am all in, son.
Sunshine Daydream isn't super-sleepy, but definitely chill. Good anxiety control, modest mood improvement. I wouldn't use it during the day without coffee. It'd be fine in the evening once you've finished adulting and the bra is officially off.
These tabs tested at 377.5mg of THC total, so that'd be 37.75mg each. Terpinolene is the dominant terpene (7.95mg in all) but there's a significant presence of Myrcene and Ocimene, too. The effects feel consistent with my experience with those particular terps.
Gentleman Approved
I think the DabTabs are a fantastic product, as they solve a lot of common issues with dabs, but they could be even better. The flavor, for one, could certainly be improved. I'd personally like to see them raise the potency a smidge, but I can accept that dosage is purposely scaled back so as not to overwhelm.
I really like not having anything to clean up. Both rig and wax pen were pristine after testing. Plus DabTabs are easier to replace on the go than maneuvering concentrate into your wax pen and they won't melt in the heat, so you can keep 'em in your pocket.
The deciding factor has to be the cost. DabTabs cost more than a comparable amount of extract- a half-gram package ran me $50, but I've seen full gram packages going for $90. That's a little more than the $80 a full gram of Maryland's top shelf concentrate typically goes for, but the Gentleman can understand trading juicy terps for ultra-convenience. Here's to the future, baby!