Reclaim Dabs: What are They and They Really THAT Potent?

Due to the recent increase in the popularity of concentrates, many cannabis enthusiasts are likely to have taken a dab or two by now. If you’re one of them that has, then you have probably noticed an accumulation of resin that is found inside your rig that looks sort of like the dab you just inhaled, except it’s darker. If you’ve ever wondered what that goopy resin is, it’s known as reclaim. Believe it or not, there’s a lot more to reclaim than you might think.

Let’s start at the beginning. Most of us smokers have had a day when, for whatever reason, we run out of weed and can’t get our hands on any more. It’s on these days that the bottom of the barrel will come to light. After smoking your weed from a pipe or a bong for some time, the resin will build up. This is known as reclaim.

Many stoners have possibly even become resourceful and turned the buildup of resin into something that they can smoke. It might not be pretty, but it gets the job done in a flash.

What is Reclaim?

Basically, reclaim is the re-condensed concentrate that collects in your rig after a few dabs. Any lover of dabbing cannabis extracts and concentrates would have seen some yellowish/brownish residue that gets stuck to the internal part of the bubbler or water pipe. This residue is essentially made up of resin, which gets stuck to the glass because of the re-condensation of vapor.

This residue is typically referred to as the reclaim, and while its appearance may not be as eye-catching as the “raw” concentrate, it actually still contains a large number of cannabinoids that can be reused.

It’s important not to confuse the reclaim with the resin that gets stuck to the pipes, caused by the combustion of dried flowers. This resin doesn’t contain many cannabinoids due to the high temperatures that are reached during combustion. We’re exclusively referring to the resin that is accumulated in dropdowns and rigs when dabbing extracts.

This brings as to our next important point about reclaim. According to the cannabinoid tests that were made by Scott Churchill, the Director of Methodology at MCR Labs, reclaim does, in fact, contain large amounts of cannabinoids. As part of the tests, several different types of reclaim were analyzed – all with diverse consistency, texture, color, and collecting methods.

All samples that were tested displayed high cannabinoid content that ranged from 30 to 60% THC. As you will probably agree, recovering the reclaim seems certainly worth the effort.

How to Collect Reclaim

There are several different ways in which collecting reclaim can be accomplished. In fact, reclaim builds up with each dab you take and can actually clog your rig, reducing the effectiveness and changing the taste of each dab. Therefore, regular cleaning and the collection of reclaim is necessary if you wish to preserve an optimal dabbing experience.

Most dab rigs will be conveniently fitted with a “drop-down” attachment or adapter that will make the reclaim collection process a breeze. The reclaim will be trapped in the attachment which makes it easy to collect. All you need to do is flip over the attachment and apply heat to the bottom. The heat helps to loosen the reclaim, and it will just fall out – make sure that you have a silicone pad in place to collect it.

If your dab rig isn’t fitted with a “dropdown” attachment or adapter, it’s still fairly easy to collect the reclaim. You can simply pour some solvent (grain alcohol or isopropyl alcohol both work well) into your rig, shake it, then pour it out and let it evaporate. Once the solvent has evaporated, you will be left with a decent collection of reclaim. If you want to eat your reclaim, it’s best to use grain alcohol as the solvent because it’s safer than isopropyl for human consumption.

What is Reclaim Good for and How Potent is It?

People who encounter reclaim have two choices; to throw it out or consume it. As we’ve already briefly mentioned, it’s a form of resin that can be great to use for another high. While plenty of smokers to end up tossing out their reclaim, others find it to be a sustainable method to ensure that every last drop of the cannabis is used.

It may come as a surprise to you that there are actually several different ways that you can use reclaim. It might just look like a dark, dirty mess, but it has the potential for variety and some great value in terms of cannabis power. In the cannabinoids tests that were conducted my MCR labs, it was found that concentrate resin contains around 65% of its original cannabinoids and about 95% were decarboxylated.

This means that reclaim is fairly potent, especially when infused or added into food or drinks. It can also be applied topically to the skin and absorbed effectively. Reclaim melts easily into coffee and hot chocolate, and can be added to just about any food that you could imagine. To avoid the sticky texture and spicy flavor, you can fill it into empty gel capsules for easy ingestion.

However, always remember to start slow when ingesting or eating reclaim. The effects are quick, hard-hitting, and long-lasting. You are always able to eat more, but you can’t undo it.

Here’s an overview of the few ways that you can use your reclaim:

• Dab it: If you’re reading this article, then this one is probably for you. Taking a dab with your reclaim is one of the most effective ways to feel the effects instantly. Essentially, reclaim is still concentrate. However, you shouldn’t expect the flavor to be great. Due to the heat of the initial dab, most of the terpenes will be far gone by this point.
• Eat it: Since the reclaim is already decarboxylated, eating it is a viable option and can produce some pretty strong effects. Some people eat it as is while others will drizzle it over their food or capsule it up to avoid the bad taste.
• Infuse it: For most people, reclaim isn’t all that pleasurable to dab because all the terpenes are gone, which means that the delicious flavor won’t be there. But, using reclaim to make edibles is a smart option. You can mask the bad taste with some delicious chocolate or whatever edible suits you.

Final Thoughts on Dab Reclaim

Some people believe that reclaim is icky and prefer to simply clean out their rig and throw the reclaim away. But for those who want to savor their reclaim for a rainy day, it can be very effective. If you’re interested in using your reclaim, the best thing you can do is get yourself a dab rig that has a drop down attachment. This allows for easy reclaim collection which can either be dabbed or used in delicious edibles.