What is Dab Day? July 10 is Dab Day. If you’ve ever seen “710” floating around cannabis circles and wondered if you missed a meeting, here’s the secret: flip it upside down and it spells OIL. (Go ahead. We’ll wait.)
Since concentrates are often called oils, 7/10 became the unofficial holiday for dabs. Basically, it’s 4/20’s younger sibling: different products, same excuse to celebrate.
But let’s be honest. Flower, edibles and pre-rolls makes sense. Then you walk past the concentrates section, see words like badder, live resin, shatter, and diamonds, and suddenly it feels less like shopping and more like someone handed you a chemistry quiz.
If you’ve ever thought, “I have absolutely no idea what’s happening over there,” welcome. You’re in good company, and half the people nodding like they totally get it are secretly hoping someone else asks the first question.
Good news? It’s way less complicated than it sounds.
Here’s what Dab Day is, what dabs actually are, and an honest answer to the question you’re really asking: are they right for you?
What is Dab Day?
At some point in the early 2010s, someone flipped “710” upside down, saw OIL, and the cannabis community collectively went, “Yeah, that tracks.”
And just like that, Dab Day was born.
So every 7/10, dispensaries run concentrate deals, brands drop limited batches, and dab lovers get their one day where the rest of us finally ask them to explain their hobby. VRC’s in on it too. Keep an eye on our specials page for the 7/10 lineup.
Okay, but what’s a dab?
Think of cannabis flower as fresh coffee.
Dabs are espresso.
Same plant, much more concentrated.
Cannabis concentrates are made by pulling the cannabinoids and terpenes out of the flower and leaving the rest behind.
The result is something far more potent in a much smaller amount that smells like the strain turned its volume all the way up.
A dab is simply a small amount of that concentrate vaporized on a hot surface, usually with a dab rig or an e-rig, and inhaled. If you’ve been googling how to use THC concentrates, that’s genuinely the whole answer: heat, vapor, inhale. Resin, wax, badder — they all work the same way.
The concentrate menu can still look like a science fair the first time you see it. But nobody’s grading you on this.
Here’s your decoder:
| Concentrate | What it is | How to use it |
| Live resin | Made from fresh frozen plants, so it keeps more of the strain’s original flavor and aroma. That jar smell you fell in love with, turned up. | Dab rig, e-rig, or cart. No special technique required. |
| Live rosin | Also starts with fresh frozen flower but is made using only heat and pressure. Think of it as the single-origin coffee of concentrates. Amazing? Usually. Cheap? Let’s not get carried away. | Dab it, same as the rest. The magic is in how it’s made, not how it’s used. |
| Badder/wax | Soft, whipped, and easy to scoop. THC wax (you’ll also see it listed as cannabis wax, or just wax concentrate — same stuff, different menus) is one of the most approachable formats behind the counter. | Scoop a small dab onto a hot nail or e-rig. |
| Sugar | Sparkly, wet-sugar texture that scoops easily and hits flavorful. | Treat it like badder: small dab, low temp, big terps. |
| Shatter | Brittle, glass-like, and one of the classics. | Break off a piece and dab it. |
| Diamonds & sauce | THCA crystals swimming in terpene-rich liquid. They really do look like tiny diamonds. You can propose with them, but maybe don’t. | Dab low and slow to keep the terps. |
And here’s the thing: people don’t get into dabs because someone told them they had to “graduate” from flower. Cannabis isn’t high school.
Some people love the bold terpene flavors. Some appreciate that a little goes a long way. Others just enjoy trying different ways to consume cannabis.
Think of it like coffee. Some people order drip, some swear by espresso. Neither one is wrong, they’re just different mornings.
If you’re curious about the different types of concentrates available, take a look at our cannabis concentrates page before your next visit. It’ll give you a feel for what’s on the shelf before you’re standing in front of it trying to play it cool.
Are dabs right for me?
The honest answer?
Maybe.
Let’s do this budtender-style.
You’ve been at this for a while
You know your tolerance. You’ve got opinions about terpenes. You’ve caught yourself sniffing a jar a little longer than socially acceptable.
Dabs might be right up your alley.
Concentrates can capture the flavor and aroma of a strain in a way flower sometimes can’t. If you’ve ever wished the smoke tasted as good as the jar smelled, this is where concentrates start making a lot of sense.
You’re brand new
Maybe don’t cannonball into the deep end just yet.
Concentrates are significantly more potent than flower, and there’s a lot less room for, “Hmm, maybe that was a little much.”
Most of our budtenders would probably steer a first-timer toward flower, a low-dose edible, or a vape before recommending dabs.
That’s not gatekeeping. That’s just trying to help everyone have a good time.
You’re somewhere in the middle
You’re curious. You’ve got some experience. But you’re also not trying to drop a couple hundred bucks on a setup for a hobby you haven’t even decided you like yet.
Kind of like buying a Peloton before your first jog.
Good news: you don’t need to jump straight into a full dab setup.
How to try dabs without buying a whole rig
Here’s the part a lot of Dab Day articles skip.
Trying concentrates doesn’t automatically mean buying a torch, a glass rig, and dedicating half your coffee table to a new hobby. These days, there are plenty of cannabis concentrates for beginners, and most of them are a lot simpler than you might think.
Not sure where to start? Here are a few easy entry points:
- Live resin carts & all-in-ones
Probably the easiest place to start. You get the flavor of live resin without buying a rig or watching three YouTube tutorials first. - Pod systems
Simple, portable, and beginner-friendly. Click it in, take a pull, and you’re good to go. - Infused pre-rolls
Familiar format, just with concentrate added for a little extra kick. No new learning curve required. - Traditional concentrates
Badder, sugar, diamonds, live rosin. If you’re already comfortable with concentrates and have the gear, this is where the full experience lives.
Whichever route you choose, remember one thing:
Start low.
Take one pull and see where you land. The flavor isn’t going anywhere. Plus, patience is free, and it works.
You don’t need to know everything first
One of the biggest cannabis myths about dabs is that you need to walk into a dispensary already knowing the difference between live resin and live rosin.
You don’t.
Nobody’s handing out pop quizzes at the door.
Your budtender would genuinely rather answer a dozen beginner questions than watch you leave with something that isn’t the right fit. Honestly, helping people figure this stuff out is half the fun.
Spend 7/10 with VRC
Dab Day isn’t about becoming a concentrate expert overnight.
It’s just a reminder that cannabis comes in a lot more forms than flower. And if you’ve been dab-curious (yes, we’re making that a phrase), consider this your sign to stop wondering and start asking.
Stop by VRC at 315 Henry Street, tell us where you’re at, and we’ll point you in the right direction.
No concentrate vocabulary required.
If you want to peek before you come in, our online menu is always up to date with what’s on the shelf. Browse concentrates, compare options, and show up already a little less confused than you were five minutes ago.
Maybe Dab Day is already on your radar, or maybe this is the first time you’ve heard of 710. Either way, you’re in on it now.
See you at VRC. 🔥
