A few months ago we asked our Instagram followers this question – “what are the newest and coolest technologies in cannabis”. We got quite a few answers but there’s one innovation that we followed up with shortly after the post , and it’s a product that could come in handy for everyone; licensed extractors through legacy innovators, home vs mobile marijuana consumers, newbies or connoisseurs. This product has the potential to offer everyone a cool solution to a common problem. Sticky cannabis extracts… Sticky fingers, sticky shirts, stick pants, sticky floors, sticky $%^$%^ everything.
Dabtabs bring a new way to dose shatter, or any wax or oil based extracts for easy use on the go and at home. They are a little preloaded cartridge or cannister for your dabs that drop right into your bong, enail or vape device. Dabtabs require that your device can get up to roughly 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Other then that, pack it up, pack it in, and why don’t we begin the interview with ILO Research’s badass product, the Dabtab.
What are Dabtabs?
Dabtabs are a proprietary glass-ceramic hybrid substrate. They are a microporous, inert sponge that holds a precise amount of any liquid stable at room temperature.
Why are Dabtabs perfect for dabbing?
Dabtabs are perfect for dabbing for many different reasons. Foremost, they are dry to the touch, stable up to 130 degrees Fahrenheit, and hold exactly 50mg of extract. This makes dabbing much easier as it eliminates the need for specialty tools, wasted extracts stuck to jars and lids, or limiting where full flavor extracts can be enjoyed. With our accompanying devices, including the Dabtabs All-in-One and the Shatterizer Dabtabs Edition, users are able to dab “on-the-go” and in a familiar form factor – combined with the precision dosing, it’s the perfect combination for new concentrate users! Experienced users will love the ability to easily travel with, share, and carry multiple strains without the need for special equipment or storage.
Is anyone else making this or are they propriety to your company?
These are proprietary to Ilo Research. We have an exclusive relationship with a USA based manufacturing partner and the product is patented and patent pending internationally.
What type of dab rigs do Dabtabs work in; bangers, enails, vape pens, hot fire?
Our saying here is “if it fits, its hits!” – in essence, the tab will work with any device that has sufficient contact area and heat to get the tab up to vaporization temperature (about 400 degrees Fahrenheit). It can be used in traditional bangers (the “cold start” method works best), e-nails, any vape pen with a flat/ceramic or quartz bucket, and it works as a topper on traditional flower smoked with a lighter! It also does great in portable rigs like the Puffco Peak, Dr. Dabber Switch, or Carta Focus V. =
What type of dab rigs do Dabtabs not work on?
It does not work on Quartz Dual Coil (QDC) powered vape pens, a standard nectar collector, or any device without sufficient area for the tab to fully contact the heating element to reach temperature.
Do Dabtabs change the experience of the hoot at all or is it the same as if you were dabbing with a tool and open extracts?
DabTabs change the experience in a couple of subtle ways. Foremost, when first consuming a DabTab, users will experience more flavor than they would from the same extract consumed traditionally. This is because the glass-ceramic matrix buffers heat, ensuring that the volatile terpenes are preserved until they reach their phase change temperature. Because the phase change temperature varies by terpene, a DabTab consumer will notice the flavor change a little between hits as various terpenes are expressed. We also find that DabTabs are generally more “efficient” than dabbing extracts in a banger with a tool/torch. From 1/20th of a gram a consumer will generally get 3-5 “hits” – allowing for easier sharing or the ability to re-heat a dab after a couple of hits.
What sizes do they come in and does each size work on all devices?
For now, DabTabs come in only one size: 50mg or 1/20th of a gram per tab – sold in ½ gram (10 tab) packs and 1 gram (20 tab) packs.
How do you load a Dabtab?
DabTabs are loaded by licensed processors in each market, we manufacture the technology and provide the processes and SOPs for various extracts and liquids that are infused into the tabs. The process to infuse a tab varies by the composition of the fluid being suspended in the matrix. We work closely with each processor to develop a unique process that fits their production methods and materials to ensure quality and consistency; therefore, for each partner, the exact infusion process is a trade secret.
What are they made out of and why don’t they burn when exposed to heat?
The tabs are made of a proprietary glass-ceramic hybrid substrate. They are made to ASTM standards in an ISO 9001 facility in the USA. They do not burn when exposed to heat for the same reasons that quartz bangers or ceramic buckets do not burn when exposed to heat – it takes very high temperatures, high enough to melt glass, to deteriorate the substrate. In any regular use, the device should never reach a temperature sufficient to disrupt the matrix.
Are there any emissions that could be bad for the lungs? Are they lab tested?
The tabs are lab tested in the USA to very stringent standards. There are no emissions from the tabs that are harmful to the lungs – the tabs are inert just as a quartz banger is. We have had the tabs 3rd party lab tested in various ways including comparing the same extract heated in a DabTab to heated in a banger and we find that the DabTab produces fewer potentially harmful volatile compounds due to the matrix holding undesirable compounds internally and buffering the heat they receive. When a traditional dab is taken, material needs to be cleaned out of the banger after use. With a DabTab, the banger stays dry! The tab holds all of the unconsumable residue internally. We have also had the tabs tested directly in a wide array of tests to determine their elemental composition and reaction under vaporization temperatures and found no detectable harmful compounds from the tabs. Finally, the tabs have been tested by regulators in California, Ohio, and other stringent US markets and never failed a regulated test for any compound!
What type of extracts work in Dabtabs?
We have tested virtually every type of extract and have a process to infuse the tabs with it. This includes live resin, shatter, budder, wax, cured resin, diamonds and sauce, terpene sauce, HTCE, full spectrum extracts of any extraction method, live rosin, hash rosin, etc. The only extract that we’ve been unable to infuse into the tabs is a sandy ice wax.
What happens with Dabtabs once they’ve been all used and abused and what is the lifespan of 1?
The DabTab is a single use item, so once consumed, the residual tab can be discarded. We work with dispensaries to have a recycling program where used tabs can be returned for collection. We also suggest that consumers use the tabs in their gardens as a perlite / aeration substitute. Our testing has found that the properties of the tab (liquid retention, porosity, and inert nature) help with root development and growth. We are now piloting a study with some local partners to study the exact impact of the tabs on growth and plant development. In effect, once the tab is used, it’s inert as a rock would be, so can be recycled back into the soil and will breakdown overtime into its natural elemental state.
Are there any notable personalities that you’ve had the chance to share Dabtabs with?
We’ve shared our technology at trade shows & events around the USA and did a special session with Tommy Chong in the summer of 2019.
I think this is a great product for the legal cannabis market to be honest. Have Dabtabs expanded in Canada or considered any growth or conversations with licensed extractors?
We just expanded into Canada with a new partner CDN GRN. They will be distributing the DabTab product with several partners all across Canada! We also have a CBD line of DabTabs, Levata, that is sold throughout the EU, USA, and Latin America.
Do Dabtabs work with industrial machinery or are they easy to fill on a large scale?
Yes, we have a process for them to be filled on small and large scale. They are remarkably easy to fill when done correctly and our partners find that compared to gramming out extract in a traditional method, the DabTabs are much more efficient to produce and package!
What is the perfect situation for a Dabtab and tell us who the Dabtab is perfect for.
DabTabs are perfect for anyone looking for more portability and more diverse options for consuming concentrates & extracts on the go. I am an avid outdoor enthusiast, so I really enjoy being able to take DabTabs with me on hikes, kayaking adventures or camping trips. Because they are shelf stable & leak proof up to 120 Fahrenheit (48 Celcius), I am able to take them with me anywhere I go and grateful to be able to have diverse options that aren’t available via traditional portable delivery mechanisms. Newer consumers who are “concentrate curious” really appreciate the dosage & temperature control our technology provides and the smooth flavor that comes through as a result.
What is the Dabtab to go, and how does it work?
The DabTabs GO is a 510 thread compatible atomizer designed to work specifically with DabTabs. It works with most reasonably powerful, push-button style battery. We have since developed and released the DabTabs GO All-in-One which is the GO atomizer that is permanently attached to a battery that we designed to work specifically with DabTabs. The All-in-One has a preheat function programmed into it to take the guesswork out of using DabTabs on the go.
Does this have an additional coil, or do the Dabtabs work as a coil?
The GO atomizer is a discreet unit and doesn’t have additional coils/parts to swap out. The ceramic heating disc has a longer lifespan than a quartz/QDC coil and because the DabTab will retain some of the residual material that can gunk up atomizers/parts and preserve the lifespan of the atomizer. With regular cleaning and maintenance, the GO atomizer will last for quite some time. When we were developing & testing the concept in the lab, we ran more than 100 tabs through a GO atomizer in a single day without cleaning and the unit worked just fine.
What are the benefits to this style of vape vs others?
A major benefit of DabTabs technology is that the extract/concentrate never comes in direct contact with the heat source. When heated, the ceramic matrix of the tab vaporizes & releases its contents, preventing any kind of contact with metals and reducing opportunities for leeching. Additionally, most traditional vaporizers offer little to no temperature control, allowing consumers to easily overheat & combust their extracts which can ruin flavor & experience and is potentially harmful. By acting as a thermal buffer, DabTabs help keep the temperature in the ideal range for combustion-free vaporization.
Is there any custom settings on the DabTab ToGo in regards to airflow or heat exposure or is it just plug and play
The DabTabs GO All-in-One has 3 temperature settings to give consumers control over their experience. The GO atomizer on its own is plug & play since the battery it is paired with would control voltage output.
Does the Dabtab itself contro the airflow, or does the device still play a part?
The DabTabs do not impede/control airflow, once it is hot enough to vaporize & release its contents, the device being used dictates the air-flow.
The Dabtab ToGo is a 510 thread correct?
The GO atomizer is a 510 thread. We’re always coming up with new & innovative solutions for portable vaporization and existing bangers/set-ups for many devices already work with DabTabs today!
ILO RESEARCH
What is ILO Research
Ilo is a consumer product and vaporization focused research company based in Portland, OR and we’ve been around since 2017. We currently have 6 employees based in our HQ office.
How long have you guys been around, how bit is the company and where are you located?
We’re a Canadian company that typically covers Canadian products and innovations, but this was so cool we had to get in touch. I haven’t seen / heard of you before, do you have a Canadian footprint at all? Where can Canadians find your products in retail or online?
We have partnered with CDN GRN for Canadian distribution. We are currently under review with Health Canada for a 2021 launch.
Are you a DabTab focused brand, or working on other innovations? What can we expect in the future?
We are focused on all aspects of vaporization. In the future you can expect the next evolution of a wax pen, a major improvement on the 510-thread system, and a revolutionary laser-based vaporization product.
If Canadians want to sell your products in store, where’s the best place to get started?
If Canadians want to buy your products, where’s the best place to get started?
They will be on the shelf in 2021! If they want to try them earlier, we have a CBD product and an online store.
Does your team offer affiliate or dropshipping options for cannabis entreprenuers in Canada?
Yes, please reach out.
