What is Hash?

Hash, or hashish, is a substance that can be produced from the resin glands of the cannabis plant.  These resin glands, more formally known as trichomes, are the small crystallized structures covering the leaves and bud of the plant.  Although the cannabis plant may be more immediately recognizable from its larger flowering leaves, these tiny trichomes are what matters when it comes to hash and other concentrates.  That’s because the trichomes are the structures that produce the variety of cannabinoids and other unique molecules associated with the cannabis plant.  Like kief, hash is also made up of the potent sticky resin that comes from the trichomes.  If they’re made up of the same raw material, how exactly are kief and hash different then?

Hash is like taking the kief of the cannabis plant one step further.

When the trichomes are separated from the surface of the plant, heated, and compressed into blocks, the final product is hash.  This chemical processing changes the properties of the concentrate such as the taste and odor. Hash is also different from weed in terms of its potency.  Because it is made from the trichomes, the most concentrated part of the plant, hash has a greater concentration of THC than weed – anywhere from 50-80%.  However, hash can be consumed much like weed, through a pipe, joint, or vaporizer.

Unlike kief, which is relatively easy to collect straight from the bud, making hash is more of a process.  Over the years, several different ways of producing hash have been developed.  It was previously done manually, where labourers would roll the bud and apply pressure to it with their hands.  However, newer methods of isolating hash such as alcohol and water extraction have been developed.  Alcohol, for instance, can dissolve certain substances in the resin, making it easier to separate out the desired cannabinoids.  In fact, it is relatively easy to produce hash at home and you can do so by purchasing a few basic items depending on what method of preparation you want to use.