"QuickStiQ" - an Affordable, Simpler Way to Dab Hash Oil / BHO & Other Cannabis Extracts - Product Review

The QuickStiQ Hash Oil Pipe

The QuickStiQ is a nifty glass pipe design that simplifies the 'dabbing' process. Any number of cannabis extracts can be vaporized using the QuickStiQ - BHO, shatter, wax and even traditional hash.

As a connoisseur of cannabis in its many guises, I am a fan of well prepared extracts and the increasingly intricate devices used to enjoy them. But doing 'dabs' of hash oil - with the requisite glassware, blowtorch, 'nail' and dab-stick, is so complicated it can detract from the relaxation of the hash experience.

'Dabs' are tiny amounts of highly concentrated cannabis extract which are vaporized (not burned). The active ingredients are turned into a vapor which is inhaled and enjoyed - all without burning anything. Nothing is burned - so nothing is smoked - which is why 'dabbing' can occur indoors, at dispensaries and such, while outright smoking is generally prohibited.

QuickStiQ - Available from Peoplez Champz, NW Cannabis Market

How It Works:
The QuickStiQ is heated with a butane cigar lighter (or small blow torch) for about 5 seconds until hot. The glowing hot end of the QuickStiQ is then dabbed into the heat-proof Oil Slick container holding the cannabis extract. This is done quickly and gently - and the resulting vapor/smoke is inhaled through the mouth-end of the QuickStiQ.

The double bubble s-trap design protects against melted extract migrating into the mouth of the unsuspecting consumer.

The Oil Slick container is made with medical grade silicone that will not stick to the ooey-gooey gunky texture of even the stickiest hash oil extracts.

Oil Slick Container

Our Experience:
Learning the correct timing and technique of heating the end of the QuickStiQ took a little practice - and getting the temperature correct is vital for a consistent experience with extracts. The end result of this was that the same extract could taste floral and inhale smoothly at one temperature and be generally disagreeable at other temperatures (see note below).

A few dabs of the BHO extracts we sampled with the QuickStiQ were sufficiently potent for even the most medicated members of our tasting group. Smoking high quality marijuana is like drinking beer or wine - but doing dabs is more like doing shots. With up to 3x the concentration of active ingredients, these hash oil extracts pack a punch.

The glassware and especially the required blowtorch style lighter was off-putting to some members of our tasting group who likened the whole experience to smoking crack cocaine. Others disagreed, and pointed to the decorative colored designs on the side of the QuickStiQ.

Heating the QuickStiQ with Mini Blow Torch

A Note on Dabbing & Vaporizing Temperature:
Regardless of whether you are using a vape pen, a traditional dab set-up with nail, a vaporizer like the Volcano (R) or a QuickStiQ - the temperature of whatever is vaporizing the cannabis extract is of vital importance. Temperature will impact not only flavor and smoking quality (ie - harshness) but will impact the subjective quality of the 'high' by changing the chemistry of some of the numerous cannabinoid compounds in the cannabis extract.

THC vaporization temperature: ~ 365 degrees F (185 C).
Tip: a plausible range to aim for with the QuickStiQ is ~350-390 F
THC combustion temperature: ~445 degrees F [Anything higher and you are just smoking a pipe]

Overview:
Overall, the QuickStiQ is an innovative way to enjoy the increasingly broad array of cannabis extracts with minimal investment, good portability and functionality. Hash Oil Rigs can cost hundreds and even thousands of dollars. This well designed product delivers an experience similar to far more complex (and expensive) systems.

The downside of the QuickStiQ is, well, the blowtorch. But as dabbing has gained popularity, an array of specialty style blow-torch lighters are widely available.

The QuickStiQ is available in a variety of colors from the Peoplez Champz booth at the Galaxy NW Cannabis Market. Note that NWCM is a medical marijuana access point that requires all visitors to be current Washington State Authorized Medical Marijuana patients.

(C) 2014 Stoner Living Blog
 

The Dab Lounge at the NW Cannabis Market - the Stoner Living Field Trip Report

Artist's Interpretation of a Hash Oil Dab Bar by Hubba Hubba

In the back room of the NW Cannabis Market, the dab lounge makes it possible for patients to sample extracts from the medical marijuana vendors up front. The NW Cannabis Market on Seattle's Rainier Avenue is open 7 day a week. Access is restricted to medical marijuana patients authorized to use medical cannabis in Washington State.

At the dab lounge, a budtender skillfully wields the blow torch, making it possible to relax and do nothing but inhale the vaporized fumes of the many extracts available. Prices range from $3 - $7 suggested donation per vaporized puff, and a wide selection is available. Basic extracts are priced at a recommended $3 donation (and Tuesdays are 'double dab' Tuesday where 2-for-1 pricing applies to selected dabs), CO2 extracts priced at $5, and some special extracts priced at $7 donation.

For $7, I tried a cryo-purged BHO (Butane Honey Oil) product. The budtender took out the small container of extract, and pulled a tiny amount onto the metal dabber stick (I selected the one with the Godzilla head on it). She fired up the blow torch and heated the metal bowl (the "nail") at the end of the glass waterpipe until it was glowing red hot. When I was ready, she 'dropped the dab' onto the side of the 'nail' as I inhaled through the cooling water.

Cinex BHO from Local Roots

She warned me not to hold the smoke in too long as it would expand in my lungs. I took her advice and exhaled the first hit mostly through my nose to enjoy the full aromatic spectrum of the extract. I survived with my lungs in tact but a distinctly peppery burn in my lungs. It was smooth, but I certainly felt the power of the concentrated smoke.

At the end of the exhale, the budtender smiled and handed me a cup of cold water.

Before preparing a dab for my companion, she opened an alcohol wipe and cleaned the mouthpiece of the waterpipe.

We sampled a $3 dab next. The difference between a $7 dab and a $3 dab is primarily smoothness (the $3 dab was a bit rougher on the throat going down) as the potency seemed similar. Most concentrates sold at the market reportedly range from 60-90% THC.

A heavy hand during the extraction procedure can strip all the delicate aroma and flavor rich terpenes from an extract. Likewise, failure to completely remove the solvent can lead to off tastes and outright toxic products. All of the 'dabs' we saw and smelled during our visit to the NW Cannabis Market appeared to be acceptable - and in some cases excellent - products.

The dab lounge at the Galaxy location of the NW Cannabis Market is open 7 days a week. The White Center location also has a dab lounge open on occasion. Because the product is vaporized and there is no smoke involved, it seems that indoor smoking ban legislation does not apply to such operations. Of course, a multitude of other prohibitive legislation will slow the spread of such establishments.

A home set up for enjoying extracts can be purchased from one of the vendors of glass smoking accessories at the market.  There are specialized devices as well as 'nail' attachments which can be attached to a multitude of standard waterpipes. Concentrates may also be mixed with cannabis flowers and rolled, or smoked through a pipe or waterpipe. 

Editor's note - A full Stoner Living report on home options for enjoying BHO or 'dabs' is in the works for April.

Reported by Stoner Living field reporter Greta Kraftt

-------- (c) 2013 Stoner Living