A cannabis nectar collector is a dab tool made of a tube and a heated tip. You heat the tip with a torch, touch it to cannabis concentrate, and inhale the vapor through the tube. It replaces a dab rig, a nail, and a dome. Other names are dab straw, honey straw, and tip-and-dip pipe.
Parts of a Nectar Collector
- Tip: titanium, quartz, ceramic, or glass. Titanium heats in seconds and holds heat. Quartz holds flavor. Ceramic sits between the two. Glass tips cost less and crack after repeated heat cycles.
- Body: a glass stem, 4 to 12 inches long. Some bodies have a water chamber.
- Mouthpiece: glass or silicone.
- Accessories: silicone sleeve, carb cap, dish, torch.
How to Use One
- Put concentrate in a glass or silicone dish. Use 1 to 3 mm, about the size of a rice grain.
- Heat the tip with a butane torch. Titanium takes 15 to 20 seconds. Quartz takes 25 to 40 seconds.
- Wait 5 to 10 seconds for the tip to cool.
- Touch the tip to the concentrate and inhale. The concentrate melts on contact.
- Wipe the tip after the unit cools.
Temperatures
THC boils near 315 degrees Fahrenheit. CBD boils between 320 and 356 F. Vapor forms between 315 and 480 F. A red-hot tip burns material and makes harsh vapor. Overheating titanium oxidizes the surface and shortens tip life.
Concentrates and CBD
Cannabis concentrates hold THC at 50% to 90%, per the National Institute on Drug Abuse. Nectar collectors work with shatter, wax, budder, live resin, rosin, and hash. CBD isolate, CBD wax, and CBD crumble also work. CBD tinctures and oils do not. Oil leaves residue in the tube and burns on the tip.
Hemp CBD with 0.3% THC or less is legal at the federal level under the 2018 Farm Bill. THC concentrates are not legal under federal law. State rules differ. Check your state before you buy.
Cleaning and Storage
Soak the tip and body in 91% isopropyl alcohol for 30 minutes. Rinse with warm water. Dry the parts before use. Do not use acetone. Replace cracked glass. Store the unit upright in a case.
Safety
A torch is an open flame. Ventilate the room. Keep the flame away from your face, hair, and alcohol bottles. High-temperature dabs irritate the lungs. The CDC linked EVALI cases to vitamin E acetate in THC vaping products. The FDA has approved one CBD drug, Epidiolex, for certain seizure disorders. CBD is not approved for other medical uses. Do not drive after use. Keep the device away from children.