A Hash Break Down
With so many new hash products hitting the legal cannabis market this 4:20, we thought we would give you an overview of hash and some of our suggested products to try.
A lot of these products are a new age spin on old fashioned hash paying homage to the good ol’ days of hot knives. If you’re new to hash and curious about trying it, there are so many good reasons to do so:
- the craftsmanship
- the versatility
- and potency of the product is unlike any other cannabis concentrate -- not to mention one of the oldest forms!
What is Hash?
What’s the good word on good ol’ hashish or hash you ask? Let me first explain what hashish is!
In a nutshell, hash is simply trichomes compressed to create a resinous concentrated product.
Trichomes are the punkrockin’ powerhouse crystals that create the cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids that make cannabis...cannabis! Think of them as the part of the plant that gets you high but without all the greenery. Therefore, hash is a cannabis concentrate product composed of compressed or purified preparations of cannabinoid-rich trichomes which are first separated from the plant material.
The resin created by this process contains ingredients such as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC -- that’s what gets you high) and other cannabinoids such as CBD, CBN, and CBG.
Hash effects will most likely be stronger than smoking cannabis flower due to its higher THC concentrations.
Depending on the production process and amount of leftover plant material the product can vary greatly in:
- appearance
- texture
- odour
- and potency
What does Hash look and feel like?
Hashish is typically solid, though its consistency ranges from brittle to malleable like play-dough. It is most commonly light or dark brown in colour. Hash may also appear transparent, yellow, black, green or red.
Techniques of making hash have developed over hundreds of years and there is a long history of use in countries such as Lebanon, Afghanistan, India, Iran and Morocco. Many would consider the methods of making hash as much of an art form as they are a science.
How To Smoke Hashish:
Hash is very versatile because it can be consumed in a variety of ways.
You can consume Hash by
- Smoking Hashish on it's own
- Add Hash in with your weed
- In a pipe
- Joint
- Bong
- An honourable mention to hot knives and pinning as well!
- Some varieties of hash that are meltable and stickier in consistency may also be vaporized
- Dab Rigs.....rarely.
- Sometimes it may also be consumed orally as long as it is decarboxylated!
My personal favourite way of trying hash? The HASH SANDWICH
I create my hash sandwich in my glass bongs usually.
It's really simple. All you have to do is put a thin layer of hash or place hash pebbles in between two layers of cannabis in your glass bowl piece.
If you are going to be dabbing your hash we recommend doing so with a screen because some resins leave carbon residue that will not melt away.
To get started with dabbing hash you will need some sort of smoking device such as a dab rig. We cover all of your device and accessory needs at Budders, so please inquire within. We ship our dab rigs across Canada or you can find them at a Budders Cannabis Dispensary Near You!
Different Types of Hash & Their Extraction Methods:
Techniques of making hash have developed over centuries in many different countries.
All hash begins with collecting the sticky resins of the fresh flowering female cannabis plant. Here are the various extraction methods for creating hash:Dry-Sift Pressed Hash:
This is perhaps the most popular method to extract hash. Dry-sift hash is made by gently sieving dried cannabis buds and trim through fine-mesh screens. This separates the trichomes into a fine powder called “kief” or “drysift”. Dry-sift hash typically is a beautiful golden colour.
Traditionally this would be done by hand but in the late 1980’s machine sifting was introduced.
Machine sifting uses motion and vibration to separate the trichome gland heads from the plant through motorized tumblers. Once the kief is isolated it is then compressed with heat into blocks of hashish. Factors to keep in mind when considering product quality are screen size, the ‘shake’ or sift time and intensity used during the extraction process.
Pro-Tip: High-quality hash is produced using fine screens and a short ‘shake’ time (about one to two minutes).
Word to the Wise: there are grinders available with kief catchers for purchase at Budders. dry-sift pressed hash is extremely easy to make at home, ask us how!
We Recommend Trying These Dry-Sift Pressed Hash Products:
48North’s Traditional Pressed Hashish | 1g | 35-43% THC & 0-1% CBD:
A traditional dry-sift hash made from the highest quality, indoor grown flower. It’s made using a hybrid strain with a terpene profile that includes alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene and ocimene. 48North is a licensed producer under Delshen Therapeutics.
Simply Bare’s BC Organic SFV OG Kush Hash | 1g | 37-45% THC & 0-0.1% CBD:
An indica-dominant, single strain (San Fernando Valley OG) hash that is hand pressed through a unique process, perfected over years of experimentation. Simply Bare starts by tumbling their living soil and sun grown flower as soon as it is cured. The process is completed by hand cutting it into an earthy brown hash. It is FVOPA Organic certified and gives off an incredible earthy pine and gassy aroma. The terpene profile is alpha-pinene, beta-caryophyllene, humulene, limonene, and myrcene. This is some of the best of the best with up to 2.5% terpenes this hash is intensely flavourful!
What the heck’s living soil you ask?
Living soil is often thought of as planting material that centers on compost and has an active microbiology and biodiversity. Think of an all natural, synthetic free, living and breathing microcosm of cooperativee orgasims fueling and being nutrious soil.Hand-Rubbed Hashish:
Hand rubbing is a very popular technique and is rather self explanatory! Think: kief, hands, friction, compression and heat. This is one of the oldest methods of making hash and dates back to ancient India. Many people describe “finger hash” to be especially fragrant. This method is traditionally practiced throughout the world.Rosin:
Rosin is relatively new in the world of hash. It is simply pressing dried cannabis flower with a lot of pressure and a lot of heat. The heat is used to melt the resin onto an absorbent material and as the resin hardens again, it’s drawn out of the absorbent material and rests on top. This process produces a clear to golden wax-like substance which is terpene rich, flavourful, potent, and solventless.
Rosin is ideal for cannabis users who enjoy the full range of cannabis scents. You can try making it at home with a hair straightener and parchment paper!
We See A Lot of Our Customers Trying This Rosin Product:
Black Cherry Punch Hash Rosin | 1g | 69-77% THC & 0-2% CBD & Total Terpenes 7.4%:
Black Cherry Punch Hash Rosin was extracted by FUME using craft grown cannabis from Safari Flower Company. It has a unique terpene profile of farnesene (2.6%), limonene (1.1%), caryophyllene (0.9%) and linalool (0.7%) which gives it a dark cherry flavour. This purple rosin is a first press made using premium quality 45u - 120u ice water bubble hash and also has flavour notes of sweet apple and grape. It is handled from start to finish with an uncompromising level of care resulting in a pungent and fresh extract. Other factors to consider is that it’s THCA content is 853 mg/g & has a CBGA content of 20mg/g. This is a very strong product!
Ice Water or Bubble Hash:
Bubble Hash (sometimes called Ice Water hash) is unlike any of the hash types mentioned so far! It’s produced by
- mixing cannabis flower with water and ice
- agitating the mixture to separate the trichomes from the plant material
- and finally running the water through filtration bags and various-sized mesh sieves.
This method of making hash allows large quantities of pure resins to be made in a process without the use of solvents which makes for a more purified and potent product. This hash extraction method also produces several different grades of hashish.
For instance, bubble hash is typically a crumbly hash with a consistency similar to crystallized honey and can be very aromatic as well as filled with flavour. With certain ice-water extraction methods the resin becomes hard, brittle, potent and delicious.
Something to note is that colder temperatures used during the extraction process lock in and preserve some fragile terpenes and flavonoids that heat would destroy.
Interesting Fact: The equipment used to popularize the ice water extraction method was first introduced in 1997 by Reinhard C. Delp at the High Times Cannabis Cup. Mila Jansen then adapted his patents with her pollinator isolation bags. Which was again improved by Canadian hash enthusiast Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson with his line of BubbleBags.
Have You Tried These Ice Water or Bubble Hash Products?:
Mood Ring Legacy Hashish | 1g | 52-60% THC & 0-0.6% CBD:A high-quality solventless handcrafted concentrate in an authentic, old-world style. This product is handcrafted drawing from traditional methods dating back hundreds of years. They carefully extract and press the trichomes to create a firm, stick block. Mood Ring only uses dried hybrid flower: no trim and never any shake. They also have partnered up with One Tree Planted so one tree is planted per purchased product. A premium Quebec product at a nice price.
RC Jazzberry Pressed Ice Hash | 1g | 60-68% THC & 0-1% CBD:
This dark green and subtly purple hash is produced in small batches with craft flower. It has a fruity berry aroma and is made from an indica-dominant strain (Blueberry x Unnamed Afghani cross). It pairs a potent THC with a pleasant flavour and is handcrafted using high grade flower to create an extremely pure extract. The process is started by growing plants indoors to maturity, hand drying them, and hand processing to ensure an exceptional finished product. The terpene profile consists of limonene, beta-myrcene, trans-caryophyllene, and humulene. Royal City Cannabis Co. is an independent employee-owned craft cannabis producer.
Hank High THC Bubble Hash | 1g | 68-75% THC & 0-0.1% CBD:
The Hank Co. Bubble hash is produced using traditional methods of ice water extraction, drying and sifting techniques. This hash is light and golden-hued. It is rich in flavour profile and tastes as close to the plant as possible. Hank Co. only uses whole flower trichome heads during the solventless extraction process and is produced with a blend of micron screens that yield a very potent THC. It certainly should do the trick!
Solvent Extraction
You guessed it, this technique uses solvents (alcohol, ethanol, hexane, or butane gas) to separate the crystals from the remaining plant material. Typically a single screen size is used which produces a consistent quality rather than the several grades achieved with ice water extraction. This process results in the creation of hash oil, which is a versatile concentrate and can be used to cook edibles, dabbed in a dab rig, smoked in a dry herb vape or even smoked with cannabis.As technology and the cannabis industry evolves, more sustainable and safer solvents are developed to use in the extraction process. For example, CO2 extraction has become the preferred method of extraction for many producers because the final product contains no residual solvents.
Newer techniques have been developed such as heat and pressure separations, static-electricity sieving or acoustical dry sieving.
What’s The “Best Hash”?:
Well, the “best” hash all depends on personal preference! That’s what makes cannabis consumption so enjoyable: the experience is completely different from stoner to stoner!
That being said, some argue that solvent hashish is the purest and strongest form available. As methods have improved, residual solvent traces are less likely.
Water hashish when done right is comparable to solvent extracts at their purest, but quality does vary. For consumers wishing to achieve flavour over strength, dry-sieve hash might be the way to go because as more plant matter is retained the flavour of the mother plant is often held onto. I implore you to try some different products out because the experience of hash is an elevated one!
You can check out our cannabis menu on budders.ca and see what we have in stock for hash or give us a call during our regular business hours (10am to 8pm everyday) we'd be happy to help! Keep your spirits and lighters high!
Stay Well & Stay Safe
