Kief vs. Hash: What’s The Difference?

Kief is one of the most prized parts of the marijuana plant—without it, we wouldn’t be able to experience all the incredible cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids found in cannabis. We also wouldn’t be able to experience hash. In this guide, we’re going to break down the differences between kief and hash.

Kief and hash are both solventless marijuana concentrates, a type of concentrate that is extracted from the cannabis plant without the use of solvents. However, they both have their unique characteristics. Before discussing the differences, let’s explain kief and hash.

Have you ever looked at a cannabis flower bud and noticed the shiny hairs or crystals on the flower? Those glossy, sticky particles are kief. It’s made up of cannabis trichomes, packed with cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids, and prized by cannabis enthusiasts. Learn more in our guide to kief.

Hash, or hashish, is a cannabis concentrate made by collecting kief and compressing it into a more solid form. Learn more in our guide to hash.

The most significant difference between kief and hash is that without kief, hash doesn’t exist. Kief is the term we use for the dried trichomes of a marijuana plant. When those resin glands are collected, they can be heated and pressed into hash. This process creates the second most significant difference—hash is a little more potent than kief.

Kief is extracted in one of two ways: by catching it in a grinder or by dry sifting it. Both processes utilize fine screens to catch the delicate dried trichomes, so they can be collected and used during your next session.

Hash extraction can be done using both solvent-based and solventless techniques. This creates hash products that can be smoked, dabbed, added to ground flower, included in edible recipes, and so much more. While all kief extraction can be done at home, some methods of hash extraction require professional equipment and should never be attempted at home.

The biggest difference between consuming kief compared to hash is the versatility of hash. For most cannabis enthusiasts, kief is consumed by adding it to a bowl or “joint” of ground flower. Kief is also one of the most important ingredients in moon rocks—it coats a flower bud that has been dipped in hash oil. You can also use kief to create cannabutter which is used in homemade edibles recipes.

While hash can be consumed the same way kief is, it can also be dabbed, smoked in a hash pipe, added to a bowl and more. Because hash and hash oil can come in just about any form, it’s more easily tailored to your consumption preferences.

Hash can be more potent than kief. Hash is made using heat and pressure, creating a reaction that boosts potency. When you factor in that hash can also be made into hash oil, which can contain up to 90% THC, it’s easy to see why the biggest difference between hash and kief is potency.

Want to master the difference between hash and kief? Then you’ll want to know the answers to these frequently asked questions:

How much stronger is hash than kief?
Hash is made from kief, but because of the way it’s made, it tends to be a little more potent than kief. That being said, there are some hash products, like hash oil, that are extremely potent—up to 90% THC.
If you’re looking for a super potent product like hash oil, look for products like shatter, wax, and budder.

What’s the difference between bubble hash vs kief?
The biggest difference between bubble hash and kief is that bubble hash is made from kief. Bubble hash is created using ice water, sifting bags or bubble bags, and flower. This process freezes the trichomes (kief) on the flower which are then agitated free and collected in the bags. The bags are emptied, and the trichomes are pressed in a hash press to create bubble hash. 

When we talk about kief, we’re referring to the dried trichomes that have been collected from marijuana buds. For most cannabis enthusiasts, kief is collected when they grind their flower to smoke it. It can also be collected via dry-sifting.

Can kief make hash?
Absolutely. Hash is simply kief that has been pressed and heated, a process easily done at home without any need for solvents.

For cannabis enthusiasts who love potent products and experiencing the effects of cannabinoids in the body, kief and hash are great products to try. We recommend purchasing both kief and hash from a licensed dispensary to learn more about the products and try them for yourself.