Today Hashish is a legal product derived from the Cannabis plant, called CBD Hash, free to be purchased and consumed and has a very ancient, sacred and multicultural history. Its history is also linked to the subject of drugs, being recognized as a psychoactive substance, above certain THC limits, and therefore prohibited by the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, in the long list drawn up by the United Nations.

History of Hashish

Let us rewind the imaginary ribbon of time for a moment and return to 10th century Arabia.

In this period and in this area, historians attest to the first residual findings of the presence of hashish. Even the name indicates an “Arabian” origin, the name “hashish” being an anglophone adaptation from the Arabic ḥašīš (“herb”). Not surprisingly, hashish is derived from the herbaceous cannabis plant; specifically, it is its resin, which is extracted, compressed and/or purified. At this early stage in the history of hashish, the product was legal, and many sheikhs and lords of the time, within their own courts, sponsored its use and dissemination, and it was the Arab lords themselves who discovered the psychoactive functioning of such substances.

The origins of Hashish: a debate still open

In fact, on this theory of history on the origins of hashish, the debate is still open: some historians believe that the native act belongs to the Arabs, while others push for an “import” theory, i.e., that the Arabs became acquainted with hashish through neighboring cultures, particularly that of the Persian Sufis, with Sheik Haidar serving as the forerunner and “merchant” of the product to Arab neighbors.

Documentary evidence that the substance was known in Arabia as early as the 10th and 11th centuries comes from Eastern literature: in the classic The Thousand and One Nights the novella Tale of the Hash Eater cites the very substance for its imaginative and palliative properties. Then wars and the enlargement of empires did the rest, facilitating the spread of the product: the conquests of Genghis Khan’s Mongol tribes brought hashish from the Middle East to Russia and Central Asia. From the steppes of the Tsars and through the ever-expanding international trade networks between East and West, the arrival of hashish in Europe was a simply consequential step.

The history of hashish has often had to do with the conquests of skillful leaders (Genghis Khan and the Tsar dynasties) including even the best known, historically speaking, of European leaders and emperors in the Enlightenment and pre-revolutionary era: Napoleon Bonaparte.

In 1798 Napoleon, with his army, invaded Egypt. Islamic culture does not allow its adherents the use of alcohol, which is, at that time, almost unavailable. So the French troops as a substitute for anxiety seek (and find) comfort in hashish. Napoleon is furious with his own accusing them of laxity and decides to prohibit the substance, both to French troops and native populations.

The spread of Hashish in Europe

But the law would not stop its use and especially its spread across the old continent. In Europe, and especially in France, at the beginning of the 19th century hashish became a commonly used product among artists, writers and musicians of the time. Jacques J. Moreau was the first among Europeans to devote a book to it entitled Hashish and Mental Alienation. Dr. Moreau, a genius as well as a bizarre psychiatrist, had traveled far and wide throughout the East where he learned about the psychotropic effects of hashish. Convinced that taking such a substance could explain the various stages of insanity he carried out an empirical experiment on himself from which he later transcribed the reflections transcribed in his most successful work mentioned above.

With the Napoleonic chapter out of the way, the trade and consumption of hashish remained legal throughout Europe until 1894. From there on, the history of hashish undergoes a decisive upheaval: the advance of the pharmaceutical industry and the capitalist West demonize cannabis as a medicinal and palliative product, making the plant illegal, and, as a result, the consumption of hashish also becomes banned as a byproduct. 

How to make CBD Hash or Normal Hash at home

CBD Hash can be produced in a variety of ways. For starters: Hash is a solid, compact product that is created from the solidification of the resinous trichomes of the hemp plant. The final product can be smoked or used in cooking. It usually has THC values between 5 percent and 40 percent and percentages of CBD, values that are higher than traditional cannabis.

Making hash is easy, or at least the result is also obtainable through various methods that we will call “homemade.”

The Finger Method

The Finger method is probably the oldest method. Very trivially it involves rubbing the resin of the trichomes clearly visible above the inflorescences with one’s fingers. Once “rubbed” it is to be scraped from one’s fingers until it creates many resinous “pebbles” that are hash; or similar to the finger method is hand-rolling: a process of converting the flowers into hash by rubbing the inflorescences between one’s hands, until one finds one’s palms completely sticky with the metal-colored resinous substance. Hand-rolling was probably the most widely used method of making hash in ancient times. But that’s not all: even the famous Temple Balls (the infamous Nepalese hash balls that were all the rage in the hippie culture of the 1960s and 1970s) were made by hand, processing hash from the Nepalese mountains and then hand-rolled to smooth out the finished product.

Hot compression

Making hash through hot pressing: nothing difficult. Just equip yourself with a hair straightener, parchment or wax paper and put the bud with the inflorescences in between, finally press with the hot plate. This promotes liquefaction of the resin, which will then be pulled out of the wax paper and compacted;

Kief

 How is Kief produced? Kief is trichome powder that settles to the bottom of the grinder or to similar implements used to flake inflorescences. Such powder, pale in color because it is now oxidized matter, can be easily made into hash by harnessing the heat of the fingers. Similar effect but in greater quantities than with a grinder can be obtained by using a sieve on which to “shake” the trichomes. A better flaking effect is obtained if the inflorescences are placed in a freezer before sieving, or in a simple bucket with ice, because the cooling of the flower facilitates the flaking of the kief powder. On an industrial scale, manufacturers use an electric rotary mechanism, like a “washing machine,” which aids the separation of trichome powder from the inflorescences.

With scissors

So much resin accumulates on scissors used to cut the plants at harvest time. The excess resin must be scraped off the scissors, after which you can make your own form of hash. In this case, the freshness of the freshly harvested terpenic substances gives exceptional qualities to the product;

As mentioned, the methods of making hash from the hemp plant are many. Here we have listed the ones that in our view are the most usable even for the wide audience of casual growers.

Making hash at home is easy, you just need to know the techniques for making homemade hash.

Other important tips on how to make hash at home:

• Exploiting cannabis males that are often discarded and used “only” for pollination. Yet they prove functional for hashish production;
• The same applies to so-called “hermaphrodite” plants, that is, plants that produce both male and female flower types. Growers discard the male flowers, which, as in the previous example, can be reused to produce hashish.

CBD Hash: how to smoke it?

Again, there are a variety of ways to smoke hash without tobacco or with the addition of herbs, putting hash in a vaporizer or pipette, or in a classic joint.

The first step, in any case, is to divide the hash into many small fragments and then soften the chosen piece until the consistency from solid becomes soft and gradually more and more crumbly. Once it becomes crumbly, one can insert the substance into the glass pipette, or inside a maple or bong embers, or on the nail of dab rigs.

Another less conventional, but widely used method of smoking CBD hash in the past is the hot-knife: you take the piece of hash and put it between two hot blades. The substance immediately begins to smoke and, through a pipette/cannula (strictly metal, do not use plastic which is harmful!), you catch the smoke by inhaling puffs like when you drink a beverage.

Another old method is the glass and coaster method: to experiment, take a glass, a pin, or a cork coaster (as thin as possible). The pin goes in through the coaster, over the pin you pin the piece of hash, heat it up, and when it starts to smoke you cover it with the glass coaster. At that point you stick the straw into the coaster and begin to inspire.

CBD Hash in the vaporizer

You can also smoke hash in a vaporizer. The vaporizer for hash is a common vaporizer, the same one that is used for buds . Beware, however, of the type of vaporizer you have: not all of them are suitable for concentrates; therefore, you will need to add crumbled tops before vaporizing. It is important to remember that hash, unlike flower, vaporizes at a higher temperature (over 200° C). There are also methods that should be banned and that we solemnly advise against: that is, smoking hash by creating a brazier with tin foil, or pulling from the plastic bottle with two holes.

Types of Hashish Through the World

The types of real hashish are countless and each has multiple differences from other competitors, in terms of taste and smell, color and texture, and also in terms of physical and cerebral stimulation. The area of origin also determines unique characteristics to pieces of hash. It is no coincidence that many of the most popular hashes are named after their areas of origin.

Among the most widely consumed we have Afghan hash, Nepalese hash, Indian hash, and Moroccan hash. And then there is Kashmiri, Dutch, Pakistani, Lebanese, Turkish, and Himalayan manali, just to name the main varieties.

Afghan Hashish

It is dark in color on the outside, but the core is greenish. To the eye it expresses a glazed, almost shiny-glazed tone (caused by hand-processing); to the nose it gives a strong, almost spicy smell that is also found in the taste. To the touch, the texture is soft and malleable; it is very easily worked by hand. It has a strong psychotropic effect, giving a heavy, almost narcotic physical and mental high.

Nepalese Hashish

Like afghan to the eye it is dark black in color but the interior reveals a lighter color contrast, on the brown side. It too smells strong, almost spicy, and the psychotropic properties are very strong (11-15% THC). The consequences are that of a strong psycho-physical jarring.

Indian Hash

So-called Charas is produced and smoked in India. It is produced by rubbing the resin from female inflorescences from which a brown-amber-colored ball is produced. The final product is derived from either cultivated plants (Charas is named “Bahija“) or wild plants (“Jungla“). The consistency remains grainy and its potency is higher than even Nepali hashish (THC 10 to 25 percent). It is almost unavailable in Europe.

Hashish Ketama: The Moroccan Hash.

It is one of the most common types in Europe. It has a lower amount of THC than the previous varieties and generates an active reaction in the brain. Not surprisingly, the smell and taste also express sweetness and not the pungency typical of hashish. The color is on the brown-green, a color combination due to the freshness of the Cannabis inflorescences from which it is produced and which grow in the north of the country, in the province of Ketama.

Kashmiri Hashish

It is produced from the quality of plants in the Kashmir region of India, where the smoke is prepared by hand processing. Black in color externally, it is greenish-brown internally. It has a texture tending toward leathery, which is why it is often adjusted with natural oils that serve to soften the texture. Upon consumption, the psycho-physical effect is strong since it is a smoke that easily exceeds 10 percent THC levels. It is a type of hash that is difficult to find in Europe.

Dutch Hash

Almost impossible to find outside the Netherlands. The quality of the product, however, is very high. Dutch hashish is the child of crystals from hemp plants grown in the Land of Tulips. The smell and taste express various fragrances and recall the types of cannabis from which it is derived. The color is also very distinctive and heterogeneous: a kind of green-gold, with various color shades, which already shows off the granularity of the product at the sight. It is very soft and malleable to the touch. THC can also reach peaks of 59-60%, and intake generates very strong psychotropic effects.

Pakistani Hash

A descendant of Indian Sativa Hemp resin, extracted from trichomes, Pakistani is similar in color, fragrance and method of preparation to Indian charas. Both types come in a form with an easily manipulated consistency. THC can reach a concentration of up to 15 percent. The product has a strong yet sweet flavor that balances the aroma. Preparation involves first washing the freshly harvested inflorescences, which are then passed between the hands, allowing several layers of hash to settle on them. Once enough patina has been obtained on the hands, such that they turn a silvery-ferrous color, the patina is taken and given the desired shape, usually spherical.

Lebanese Hash

The Bekaa Valley is the gold mine of Lebanese hashish producers. It is one of the most popular smokes in the world. Although smoking hashish is forbidden in Lebanon. There are two variants of the product: yellow and red. Both have the characteristic of having a crumbly consistency and appear grainy to the eye and to the touch. Actually, between yellow and red the differences are minimal: it simply changes the period of exsiccation and the color, but tradition has it that red is considered the most valuable smoke. On a sensory level, Lebanese smoke expresses a very spicy aroma and the effects caused on a cerebral level are positive, especially yellow produces a very important “high” effect acting as an anxiolytic for mind and body. THC can range from 1.0% up to 18.

Turkish Hash

Greenish in color tending to brown, it is a similar type of hashish as in Morocco. The processing through the method of sieving the inflorescences and then pressing the extracted resin is also the same as that used in Morocco. The smell is strong and spicy and contrasts with the taste, which expresses soft and sweet notes. The taste is rather mild. Not surprisingly, the THC concentration is also limited compared to other varieties (3.5% to 9)

Indian Hashish: Manali

Typical of India’s Himalayan region, it is produced by hand by rubbing the female inflorescences. The color is dark, black with greenish notes, intense and glazed. The smell is fragrant and sweet, reminiscent of legal weed. The texture is very soft to the touch but as it ages it takes on a grainy feel and its texture hardens due to oxidation. The taste is pleasant, sweet and slightly pungent, contrasting with the smell that is entirely aromatic and free of harsh notes. It is rare to find in Europe. When there is it is already aged and, therefore, the quality is poor.

Recognizing quality Legal CBD Hash

We have seen various types of CBD hash from which to choose. One can experiment or opt for the most suitable choice for oneself. Everyone has his or her own taste, of that there is no doubt, but beyond the hash that is preferred or can be purchased on the market, it is important, in addition to knowing the various types, to be able to identify a good (high-quality) hash from a bad one. How to do this?

It is quite simple: first, one can judge it by looking at the color (the hash should possess a nice “bright” brown, or a yellowish color given by a sandy and uneven grain due to sieving). In a second step one can test the quality of the hash with the “classic” bubble test: that is, one overheats the piece of smoke, if it “sizzles” it means that the product is of high quality; if this does not occur it means that the hashish has been cut with additives and other chemicals.

Effects of CBD Hash

The effects of hashish are the same as cannabis being a derivative of the plant. It is important to differentiate between illegal hashish, with high amounts of THC, which causes, among side effects, anxiety, paranoia, altered perceptions and mental state, and CBD hash, which has no psychotropic consequences being THC within the limits imposed by Italian law (less than 0.6%). Hashish shares with cannabis inflorescence the side effects but also the beneficial effects.

Intake of cannabinoids, through CBD Hash, reduces the intensity of pain, inflammation, and neuropathic and cancer pain; positively affects the digestive system (improves appetite, reduces nausea and vomiting); dilates blood vessels by improving blood flow; and improves and protects against osteoporosis.

Conclusions:

Hashish has a history of thousands of years, made up of lights and shadows. Its illegality is consequent to the capitalist development of the market, particularly the pharmaceutical and agribusiness markets. Today, making CBD hash has become legal again, albeit subject to certain laws and permits during processing. The processing of CBD hash for those who produce it legally must take into consideration all legislation regarding products derived from the cannabis plant. However, this is not an obstacle, in part, to the quality production of the various types of hashish, which, as we learned from reading this article, also has beneficial effects.