What Is Hash

Fully coming to terms with the accurate meaning of hashish is equivalent to realizing the coexistence with the female cannabis sativa. First, there are the physical attributes of the plant itself, which include the profound fibrous leafy material complete with essential amino acids and a myriad of benefits. Second, you have the basis of the cannabis plant, otherwise known as trichomes, which are responsible for producing the aromatic terpenes and medicinal cannabinoids that are responsible for the restorative effects.

Hashish is the distinction that presents itself between the useful elements of cannabis i.e. trichomes and the plant material. This comes to fruition when the ripe and resinous gland heads that line the surface of female cannabis plants are separated and collected. Processes to lead to resin separation have been put to the test for years and have proved to be successful; however, the increased rise of cannabis legalization in the western world has introduced refined methodologies in hash preparation that are being acknowledged and adopted quite fast.

Where Does Hash Originally Come From?

“Hashish” is an Arabic term which roughly refers to “grass” from an Arabic understanding. From popular belief, popularization of hash is said to have originated around A.D. 900. However, there are those who argue that methods such as “charas,” or the collection of resin from the hands of cannabis farmers, are believed to have existed way before this time that has been indicated.

During the early European exploration into Africa in the 19th century, hashish was introduced in the western world soon thereafter. For many years, doctors in Europe imported hashish from Africa to further their research, which led to the initiation of a couple of extraction methods that provided room for further refinement and processing into medication.

At the onset of the 20th century, cannabis extracts formed a huge proportion of drugs and medication that were being manufactured in the western world. The U.S. prohibition that happened in the 20th century came to the rescue since it allowed hashish products to be reintroduced back into the black market, from western medicine.

Different Types of Hash

With the reappearance of so much passion and interest in cannabis around the 1960’s, hashish has gathered massive attention. Countries e.g. Nepal, Afghanistan, and Morocco have recorded massive increases in hashish exportation into western countries due to the fact that cannabis interest has hit an all-time high for western tourists. At this time the varieties of hash being imported were old world varieties, mainly hard-pressed, brick-like solids made from heat and pressure.

The introduction of the “master sifter” machine in the 1980’s causes a paradigm shift since it brought along the gland separation. From what Ed Rosenthal has stated in his book Beyond Buds, this breakthrough machine by John Gallardi used vibration to isolate the gland heads from the plant material.

Within the same period, Neil Schumacher and Rob Clarke embarked on a journey of experimenting with water extraction methods, the early precursor for what we now refer to as water hash, or ice water extract. The equipment used to familiarize people with the ice water extraction method was first introduced to the public in 1997 by Reinhard C. Delp at the High Times Cannabis Cup. His patents would later be adapted and modified by Mila Jansen with her “pollinator” isolation bags. This design would be further modified by Canadian hash enthusiast Marcus “Bubbleman” Richardson and his popular line of BubbleBags, one of only a handful of companies worldwide who have leased permissions to use methods from the original patent that was filed in 1999.