Hash

The History of Hash in Canada and the World

One of the highly potent derivatives of cannabis, hash or hashish has high concentrations of THC.  Made using traditional processes for centuries, it is a marijuana extract that has been used for recreational and medicinal purposes by people all over the world. However, with the recent popularity of the drug and the wave of legalization have brought about more modern methods of hash preparation and the extract has taken the markets by storm.

What is Hash?

Hash is an extract obtained from cannabis; a marijuana concentrate obtained by separating resin glands from the buds. These resin glands are also called trichomes that contain huge amounts of terpenes, cannabinoids and other beneficial components of the plant. They grow on the leaves and flowers of female Cannabis plants. Cannabinoids are therapeutically beneficial components of the plant that interact with our endocannabinoid system to provide a variety of health effects. Production of Hash in Canada involves separating and collecting the ripe and resinous glands lining the surface of these cannabis plants. This can be done either by pressure or with the use of modern techniques.

Origins of Hash

As hashish comes from cannabis, it is difficult to separate the history of hash from that of marijuana. The word ‘hashish’ has its origins in the Arabic language and means ‘grass’. The first-ever use of this drug is believed to date back to 900 A.D. though some argue that methods of resin collection existed before this documentation. Some parts of the world have an age-old tradition of charas consumption. This is the earliest form of hashish and was used for sacred and medicinal purposes. Cannabis Indica used to grow wildly in India that spread the use of this drug to the Arabian Peninsula during the tenth century.

Spreading to Europe in the 18^th century its popularity rose due to use within high society. Some of the biggest celebrities of the era indulged in its use and experimentation to see how it affected creativity. Doctors in Europe used to import the substance for research purposes and came up with various extraction methods and medical benefits. It was in the 20^th century that hashish was prohibited in the United States and their allies soon followed suit.  Thus it entered the black market and remained there until fairly recently.

Morocco, Lebanon and Afghanistan are known for its quality and production of hashish in the world. Some other countries have legalized the use of marijuana for recreational and medicinal purposes and have jumped into hash production. A lot of people now get their hash online in Canada as the country has legalized the use of marijuana.

How is Hash Made?

The legalization wave in the U.S. and Canada in recent years has brought a lot of enthusiasm for hashish. The information available on the Internet has also made processing techniques readily available. Today, it is really easy to make this substance with technically advanced methods. Countries where marijuana is not yet legalized still use traditional methods of heat and pressure to collect trichomes. In the 1980s, a new method called ‘Master Sifter’ was invented that involved the use of vibrations to separate trichomes from the plant. This technique also involves multiple screen filters to filter the residue and capture pure resin.

This style has made the process of hash production much quicker and easier as you don’t need to do it by hand when separating the trichomes. The presence of mesh filters made the extract more pure as the residue decreased. The filters keep all the extra matter away from the resin. Another method called the Ice Water Extract is also invented and used as a patented technology by several manufacturers.

Different Methods to Make Hash at Home