Quick Answer
A dab pen heats cannabis concentrate on a small coil until it becomes vapor you inhale. Most pens follow the same routine: charge the battery, load a dab about the size of a grain of rice or screw on a pre-filled cartridge, press the power button, and draw for two to three seconds. Start on the lowest heat setting and take one small hit before you decide to take more.
Before You Start
- A fully charged dab pen battery with a matching atomizer
- Cannabis concentrate such as wax, shatter, or budder, or a pre-filled oil cartridge
- A dab tool, toothpick, or small scoop
- Isopropyl alcohol and cotton swabs
- Product bought from a licensed dispensary in your state
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Charge the battery until the indicator light stays solid.
- Identify your pen type. A cartridge pen holds a pre-filled oil cartridge. A coil pen has an open chamber you load yourself.
- Press the power button five times in a row to turn the pen on.
- Set the voltage. Use 2.5 to 3.0 volts for oil cartridges. Use 3.2 to 4.2 volts for load-your-own coil pens.
- Load the chamber if you use a coil pen. Place one rice-grain-size piece of concentrate onto the coil.
- Attach the cartridge if you use a cartridge pen. Screw it in until it sits snug against the threads.
- Press and hold the power button for one second to prime the coil, then release.
- Press the button again and draw. Inhale for two to three seconds at a steady pace.
- Keep inhaling for one more second after you release the button to clear the vapor.
- Exhale and hold the vapor in your lungs for one to two seconds.
- Wait five minutes and note the effect before you take another hit.
- Press the power button five times to turn the pen off.
Choosing the Right Heat Setting
Heat controls flavor and hit size. Low voltage, around 2.5 to 3.0 volts, warms the oil without scorching it, so terpenes survive and the vapor tastes like the strain. Medium settings near 3.5 volts give a fuller hit. High settings above 4.0 volts produce large clouds and a harsher draw, and they burn through oil and coil life. New users should stay at the low end until they know how their body responds.
How to Clean a Dab Pen
- Turn the pen off and remove the cartridge or chamber.
- Dip a cotton swab in isopropyl alcohol.
- Wipe the threads, the chamber walls, and the mouthpiece.
- Let every part air dry for ten minutes before you reassemble.
Clean the pen once a week with normal use. Never submerge the battery in liquid.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
- No vapor: the battery is dead or the coil is clogged. Charge the pen and swab the chamber.
- Burnt taste: the voltage is too high or the coil is running dry. Lower the setting and add a small amount of concentrate.
- Weak hits: the cartridge may be clogged. Use the preheat function for two seconds before you draw.
- Pen feels hot: stop and let it cool for several minutes before your next session.
Safety and Dosing
Concentrate is far stronger than flower, so treat each hit as a full dose until you learn your tolerance. Do not drive after use, and keep pens and cartridges locked away from children and pets. Buy only from licensed retailers, since unregulated THC cartridges have been tied to severe lung injuries. Adults 21 and older can buy cannabis in states with legal adult-use markets.