What terp pearls are
Leafly's cannabis glossary defines terp pearls as small balls of borosilicate glass, quartz or other materials placed in a banger to help with dabbing; they are also called banger beads or dab beads. During a dab they spin around the bottom of the banger, spreading the concentrate and the heat more evenly, which Leafly says gives more consistent dabs and helps get the most flavour.
The problem they solve is pooling. Without pearls, Leafly notes, concentrate can collect in a corner of the banger instead of covering the whole surface. Pearls don't make a dab stronger; the THC you inhale still depends on how much concentrate you load.
Materials and sizes
Leafly describes banger beads as small borosilicate or quartz beads, and pearls are also sold in ruby, such as this 6 mm ruby pair listed on Leafly Canada, marketed for quartz bangers. Materials differ in how much heat they can take, so Leafly advises checking a pearl's heat tolerance before you buy: it decides whether the pearl can sit in the banger while you torch it.
Size is about fit: measure your banger before buying so the pearls have room to spin.
How to use terp pearls
Leafly's method depends on what the pearls are made of:
- Heat-tolerant pearls: drop 1 or more into the cold banger and heat the banger to your temperature with the pearls inside.
- Pearls that can't take high heat: heat the banger on its own, then drop in the pearls, then the concentrate.
- Load a small dab: the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction suggests starting with a dab the size of a grain of rice and waiting at least 10 minutes before taking more.
- Cap and inhale: cover the banger with a carb cap and draw; the pearls spin as the air moves through. Without a carb cap they won't spin.
Carb caps and temperature
A carb cap is the small cap that sits on top of the banger to regulate airflow, as Leafly describes it, and it is what sets the pearls moving. If yours sit still, the cap is the first thing to check.
Whatever pearls you use, keep the heat moderate. In a Portland State University study that recreated dabbing, the irritant methacrolein was not detected at about 322 °C but appeared from about 403 °C, and benzene, a potent carcinogen, showed up only in the hottest range tested. For the rest of the setup, see our complete guide to dab rigs and how to take a dab.
Terp pearls and terp slurpers
A related banger style is the terp slurper: a quartz banger with a dish attached to the bottom, where holes in the base let melted concentrate seep into the dish, according to Leafly, which says the design is meant to bring out flavour and waste none of the concentrate.
How to clean terp pearls
Residue builds up on pearls just as it does in the banger. Let everything cool completely first: bangers get dangerously hot, and isopropyl alcohol is a flammable liquid with a flash point of 53 °F (about 12 °C), so keep it well away from the torch.
- Tip the cooled pearls into a small dish or lift them out with tweezers.
- Soak or swirl them in isopropyl alcohol until the residue loosens.
- Wipe them with a cotton swab and let them dry completely before the next dab.
- Clean the banger the same way, with alcohol and cotton swabs after each use.
Potency and safety
Pearls change how a dab vaporizes, not how strong it is. Concentrates can contain up to 90% THC, according to Health Canada, whose lower-risk guidance advises new or occasional users to avoid extracts. Start small, wait before taking more, and ask a doctor or pharmacist if you have medical questions.
Buying concentrates to dab
GasDank delivers same day across Toronto and the GTA, usually within one to two hours, and by mail order across Canada. Hours are 8 AM to 2 AM Sunday to Wednesday and 8 AM to 3 AM Thursday to Saturday. Local orders are paid by cash on delivery or Interac e-Transfer, mail orders by Interac e-Transfer, and customers must be 19 or older (21 in Quebec), with ID checked at the door. Browse concentrates, or read what live resin is before you choose one.
