How Is Hash Made?

Hash is the waxy product that forms when the resin glands in cannabis get compressed into a solid block. “Hashish” is derived from the Arabic language and translates to “grass.” The historic roots of hash go all the way back to the year 900 AD and made its debut in the Western World at the turn of the 19th century at the time of European exploration into Africa.

At this time, doctors from Europe experimented and researched hash which resulted in new extraction methods that could be used for medicinal aims.  By the year 1900, cannabis extractions played a big role in the shaping of western pharmacology. This occurred until prohibition, at which time all hash products were eradicated and pushed into the black market. It wasn’t until the 1960s, when Rock N’ Roll culture embraced marijuana, that hashish made a resurgence. Western tourists to Nepal, Morocco and Afghanistan were all looking to try the substance, and the export/import of hashish skyrocketed.

Hard-pressed bricks of the substance, made from adding pressure and heat, were being shipped all over the globe. Then, in the 1980s, a machine called the “master sifter”, made by John Gallardi, made it possible to use vibration to separate gland heads (trichomes, or kief) from cannabis plant matter. It was also around this time in history that ice water extract (IWE) or water hash was becoming popular. Richard C. Delp introduced this method publicly in 1997, at the Cannabis Cup.

Traditionally hash is consumed orally (often baked into cookies or brownies), mixed into a beverage, or smoked in a joint or bong. There are four main types of hash that are the most common:

Bubble Hash

Bubble Hash (ice water hash) is made by stirring marijuana into a bucket of very cold water and freezing the trichomes. This mixture is then poured through as many as five mesh screens for filtration. The end product is light or dark brown and has a THC content of between 70-80%.

Royal Afghani Hash

Royal Afghani/Royal Border Hash is created from the indica plant. Using tea or water, flowers are hand-pressed until they are very elastic and extremely potent-smelling. The hash is formed into 100g slabs or small balls. It is black on the outside and green on the inside. Its exterior can occasionally be gray in color if exposed to air.

Indian Charas Hash

Indian Charas Hash is formed when the buds of female cannabis plants are rubbed by hand. The ensuing resin is pressed between slabs or rolled into round balls prior to being exported. Its appearance is similar to Royal Afghani, except the black exterior shows white lines and the consistency is more powdery. It is also sold in the shape of a sausage.

Lebanese Hash

With Lebanese Hash, growers leave plants out in the field until they are almost completely dried and crimson in colour. They are then hung and dried in a barn, and rubbed over a silk cloth, producing a powdery substance. This is then stored in plastic bags and aged until winter when it is sold in 100, 200 or 1000g slabs.

There are several additional types of hash, each with their own method of creation.  Finger Hash, as an example, is created when someone who has been handling buds and leaves thick with resin simply rub their fingers together to ball up the sticky residue on the pads of their fingers and thumbs.