What Is Hash (Hashish)?
There are very few concentrates that come with the sort of history that hashish has. Hash has been enjoyed for centuries, and it continues to be enjoyed today. In this guide, we’re going to talk all about hash, answering the questions:
- What is Hash
- What Is The Origin Of Hash?
- How Is Hash Made?
- What Are The Different Types Of Hash?
- How Do You Consume Hash?
- Answering Frequently Asked Questions About Hash
What is Hash?
Hash, or hashish, is a cannabis concentrate made with kief using a solventless extraction technique. First, the kief is collected using either a dry sieve or ice water method. Then, using a hash press of some kind, the kief is compressed into a brick. Some people also like to roll their hash into balls. No matter what shape you give your kief, it’s considered hash.
Because hash is made from concentrated trichomes (that’s what kief is, after all), it’s pretty potent, containing anywhere from 20-60% THC. Hash can be consumed in a variety of ways, including smoking, vaping, and even adding it to edibles. In fact, that’s the traditional way of consuming hash—infusing it into a traditional Indian drink called bhang.
Hash is chock full of cannabinoids. Want to know more about them? Check out our guide to cannabinoids.
What is the Origin of Hash?
Hashish comes from the Persian and Central Asian areas of the world, and it grew in popularity as it found its way onto the Silk Road and into the Middle East. Hashish was considered a luxury, and it was used in a variety of ways, including in drinks and as incense. Of course, with anything popular, there comes conversation, and there was plenty of that when it came to both religious and secular groups who debated everything from how useful it was as a substance to the sort of reputation it might bring to the region.
Eventually, pen touched paper, and hash became one of the first cannabis concentrates to hit the books. Literally. There are passages that refer to hashish in texts that date back to the 10th century, then again in the 11th century, and finally, it made its way to a popular collection of folktales from the Middle East called One Thousand and One Nights or more commonly, Arabian Nights.
What Are the Different Types of Hash?
There are two different types of hash available on the market. You can also make these two different types of cannabis at home. They are:
- Dry Sift Hash: This hash is made using frozen cannabis, fine screens, and patience. Dry sift hash is frozen and then rolled over different sizes of screens, each one finer than the last. Each layer catches trichomes that have broken off the bud, and those trichomes can be collected, compressed, and turned into hashish.
- Bubble Hash: If you use water and ice to make hash, it’s called bubble hash. The process is similar to dry sift hash, except you put your screens in a bucket with ice, water, and cannabis, and stir. The trichomes freeze thanks to the ice water, and they break off more easily. As the water pushes through each layer of screen, trichomes are caught. From there, it’s the same as dry sift hash—collect it, compress it, and consume it.
Of course, if you prefer not to go through the trouble of making your own hash at home—and it does require a lot of flower to get any decent amount of hash—you can purchase it instead at your local dispensary.
How is Hash Made?
Hash can be made one of two ways: dry sifting or ice water. Both methods are fairly easy, require only a few tools, and can be done in the comfort of your own home–assuming you have some flower you want to harvest kief from. For DIY bubble hash, check out our ice water hash guide. For DIY dry sift hash, follow our directions below!
DIY Hash: Dry Sift Method
Before attempting the dry sift method, you’ll need to purchase:
- Premium flower
- Screens
- Hash press
With the screens, you want them to be a range of sizes, with the last screen being as fine as possible to catch the kief. You can purchase these sorts of tools from a dispensary, but you can also likely grab some good screen material at your local hardware store. Then, get yourself a hash press. While you can DIY with some weights, wax paper, and books, you’ll get a better product if you spring for a hash press.
Step 1: Place Flower in the Freezer
This is going to freeze the trichomes, making it easier to break them off without so much plant material attached to them.
Step 2: Sift Flower
Once your bud is good and cold, put it on the screen and start rolling it around. The flower should naturally start to break up, but if it doesn’t, help it along. You want to do this process slowly, allowing trichomes and other plant material to fall through the screen.
Then, you’re going to take your next finer screen, and follow the same process, sifting until you get those tiny little grains of trichomes. Just remember, trichomes are delicate. This means that you should go slow and gentle with your rolling and sifting. The more careful you are, the more product you’ll have to enjoy at the end.
Step 3: Place in a Hash Press
Once you finish your sifting, you can pile the results of your hard work onto a hash press and compress it down to make a small chunk of hash.
Pro-tip: You can wash your cannabis multiple times to collect the trichomes—but don’t throw your washed cannabis away! While it might not have all its trichomes, it can still be dried and consumed or decarboxylated and turned into cannabis oil.
How Do You Consume Hash?
Like other cannabis concentrates, hash can be consumed in a variety of ways. It’s versatility includes some of the most popular methods of consumption, including:
- Dabbing: If you prefer to consume vapor, dabbing hash is a great option for you. Simply break a small piece of hash off the larger chunk and place it on the hot nail. Consume as you would any other concentrate.
- Pipes: Whether you prefer a hand pipe or a water pipe, you can still enjoy hashish. Most people choose to pack their bowl with flower and add hash on top to increase the potency. There are some people who pack the whole bowl with hash, but we recommend only doing this with a hash pipe—a pipe specifically designed for hashish.
- Pre-rolls: While you can purchase pre-rolls with hash already incorporated into them, you can also add a little bit of hash to any pre-roll. You do this by simply dampening the end of your pre-roll and pressing it into the hash. It will collect the trichomes from the hash and enhance the potency of your pre-roll. Of course, if you prefer to roll your own, you can always add some hash in with your ground flower.
- Edibles: Bhang, a hash-infused beverage, is one of the traditional methods of consuming hash. Whether you opt for this, or choose to add your hash to a different recipe, it can be consumed in a variety of ways. Just remember, you can’t just eat hash and experience the normal effects of cannabis. This is because the cannabinoids in your hash have to be decarboxylated, or heated, in order to activate THC and CBD.
Answering Frequently Asked Questions About Hash
Answering questions about cannabis products is just one of the many things we love about what we do. We get questions all the time about hash, ranging from “What is hashish?” to questions like these:
What’s the difference between hash and kief?
There’s actually very little difference between hash and kief. Kief is the dried trichomes of the cannabis plant. Hash is kief that has been compressed into a shape, like a brick or ball.
What’s the difference between hash and bubble hash?
Hash is the dried trichomes of the marijuana plant that have been pressed together. Bubble hash refers to a type of hash that’s created by using ice water to collect the trichomes. All bubble hash is hash but not all hash is bubble hash. Say that three times fast.
Can you make hash at home?
As long as you know how to either harvest kief off your flower or get your hands on kief (come visit us), you can absolutely make hash at home. You might need a couple of tools, like a press and some fine screens, but with a bit of practice, you can make your own hash in no time.
Purchasing Hash
Because of its popularity, hash is available in dispensaries around the country. If you’re ready to give one of the oldest concentrates in the world a try, head over to one of our locations. Our budtenders can show you the hash we have in stock, but they can also guide you to some flower that would be great for making your own hash at home.