Silicone 

Marijuana is inherently sticky.  Anyone who has touched it knows this.  It’s not the plant matter itself that is sticky but in fact the trichomes, which cover the marijuana buds.  Trichomes are the small, microscopic hairs from the epidermis of the plant, typically unicellular and glandular.  The trichomes in cannabis are responsible for making the more than 100 cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that can be found in the cannabis buds.  Ultimately, they are responsible for the high.  

 

When cannabis is made into concentrates, extracts and oils, the stickiness factor multiplies exponentially.  Once the plant and leaf matter have been removed and you are left with a dense concentration of trichomes, you are essentially left with a dense concentration of what makes marijuana sticky in the first place.  Add to the equation that this sticky stuff is potent and expensive, and you get something that you need to handle with great care.  

 

So, how do we handle and smoke a substance, which is incredibly sticky and tricky to use?  The answer is Silicone.  Silicone is like a gift from the Gods when it comes to all things Cannabis Concentrates.  Miraculously, none of the extracts stick to it.  Wax, Shatter, Rosin, Crumble, you name it – they’re all impervious to the surface of silicone, and with this knowledge, an entire subgenre of accessories was created.  

 

 

 

Silicone Dab Mats are an incredible way to keep your dabbing station organized.  You can manipulate any of the cannabis concentrates on your dab mat without ever having to worry about things sticking to your table.  If you accidentally drop a little oil or concentrate on your wooden table and don’t notice it, it will essentially glue itself to the wood and refuse to come off.  Only with 99% rubbing alcohol can you hope to dislodge it, but in the process, the alcohol can easily strip-off the finish on your wooden table.  In order to avoid this problem all together, it is highly recommended to use a large-sized dab mat at all times.  Every so often, you can wipe it off with 99% rubbing alcohol and it will look almost good as new.  Not only does the dab mat save your table from pieces of concentrate being inadvertently dropped, it can also catch the microscopic splatter that can sometimes occur while taking a dab.  

 

 

Silicone Fingertips are another great use of silicone.  Instead of having to put on a full glove every time you want to touch your concentrates, why not just slide on thumb and forefinger silicone tips and get to work?  It’s faster, easier, works exactly the same and allows you complete manipulation of your extract without worrying about the side effects.  

 

 

Need to roll your shatter up into a long snake for easier dabbing?  Place the concentrate between your thumb and forefinger and roll it out into a long strand.  Need to combine a bunch of pieces of crumbly wax?  Use your silicone fingertips to mash it into a useable dab.

 

Not only do the silicone fingertips stop your concentrates from sticking to everything, they are also a nice thermal insulator should you ever need to interact with your hot nail or banger.  Be careful though, they are only so effective at blocking heat.  They’re not perfect, but they do come in handy when needed.  

 

 

Silicone Containers are the perfect way to keep your cannabis extracts safe.  They act as a protective shield when the lid is on and inside nothing sticks to them.  You can safely stick your dab tool into a container and break off a piece of shatter without worrying that the pressure will stick it to the bottom or side of the container.  This is a common problem with glass and plastic jars.  When marijuana extracts are kept in little glass or plastic jars, there is inevitably always some left over which is impossible to retrieve.  Just like your wooden coffee table, the only thing that will dislodge the extract from your glass or plastic jar is 99% rubbing alcohol, which invariably changes the consistency of the concentrate, and nullifies the taste and smell.  With silicone containers, this is never a problem.  

 

 

 

 

The Silicone Carrying-Pouch is great for taking dirty dabbing tools on the go.  Even those of us who like to run a tight dabbing ship and keep everything sparkling clean know that it’s not always possible to do so.  And that’s where the silicone carrying-pouch comes in handy.  With a carrying-handle and a zipper to keep the pouch closed, you can toss in lightly used or absolutely filthy dab tools and not have to worry about making too much of a mess as you travel between destinations.  If, after a while the inside of the case gets a little too mucky, simply wipe it out with 99% Isopropyl Alcohol (Rubbing Alcohol) and rinse it out with water.  It will be ready to go again in no time!