While there only used to be one thing ever called hash, there are now a multitude of different products that fall under the umbrella of “hash”. Modern technology has given us the chance to upgrade, in a radical way, what is meant by “hash”. Want to know all about the different kinds of hash? You can learn about it in this article.
Do you remember when hash was just about the only cannabis concentrate that we had? It was either buds or hash, and there was basically no confusion. But these days, there are so many different concentrates, it’s hard to draw the line. What’s hash and what’s not? We have increased the number of ways to make hash exponentially.
Depending on how hash is made, it looks different, smells different, tastes different and has a different texture. It might even require a whole new method of ingestion. New technology has also given birth to types of hash that have an unprecedented level of THC concentration – which is exciting for all those who like a really strong hit.
If you’re not familiar with different kinds of hash and you walk into a cannabis dispensary or a coffeeshop, it might sound like everybody is speaking Klingon. So, to avoid being confused, here they are – all the different types of hash one might come across!
Kief
Okay, let’s start simple. Kief takes a ridiculously long time to collect, and is usually a by-product of you grinding up your weed. A lot of bud smokers carry around a fancy, three or four chamber grinder. This is because there is a section at the very bottom of the grinder that collects the resin that falls off the buds in the process of grinding.
What happens is that after a very long time (depending on how much you smoke, obviously), that chamber gets full of a very powdery hash called kief. So why is it considered a concentrate (or hash)? It is literally made up of trichomes and is much more potent than smoking pure buds.
You wouldn’t be mass producing kief, as you have to grind a lot of buds to get kief. It’s time-consuming. But if you like having a nice surprise every few months simply because of your regular smoking, get a multi-chamber grinder!
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Finger hash or Indian charas
Finger hash is one of the oldest ways to make hash, and it requires no technology whatsoever. Our ancestors were making finger hash, especially in India, long before we had any inkling of solvents or solventless or blasting!
Finger hash is made by rubbing fresh buds between the thumbs or between the palms of the hand. After some laborious rubbing, the oily, THC-rich coating of cannabis buds collects on the palms. It is then scraped off. And when I say laborious, I really mean it. I was rubbing some charas with some ladies in India. After four hours, they were hosting at least three grams of hash on their fingers, while I was scraping off a lousy gram.
It is usually dark green in colour, almost black, and has a very squidgy texture. In colder temperatures, it can solidify and become less soft to touch. You should not find any seeds or plant material inside a good quality finger hash.
Bubble hash
Until we started using solvents, bubble hash was the most popular kind to find. It’s easy to make and the yield is pretty good compared to kief or finger hash. It just requires water, ice and bubble bags to make bubble hash. The weed is agitated with the water and ice to get all the delicious trichomes to fall off. They are then filtered through the micron bags.
Depending on the grade, the colour can change. As a general rule, the lighter the colour of the bubble hash, the better it is! The better it has been filtered, the less plant material that ends up inside the final product. What remains is a pretty decent solventless hash product.
Cannabis rosin
Rosin is probably the easiest kind of solventless hash to make. It uses the principle of heat to remove the resinous trichomes from the rest of the plant material. Simply by putting a bud inside a piece of parchment paper, and then pressing it between the two hot plates of a hair straightener, you’ve extracted hash!
The oily substance gets absorbed in the parchment paper, and when it cools down, you’re able to scrape it off. It looks a lot like shatter or has a waxy texture to it.
Honey oil or hash oil
Ahh, there is some debate about whether solvent concentrates are a form of hash or not. Well, they are concentrates, and they are definitely not buds – or edibles or tinctures. So, for the purpose of this article, we’re going to stick them under the general umbrella of “hash products”
Honey oil is made using a solvent, which is then evaporated out of the mixture. The buds are soaked in either acetone or alcohol to extract the THC from the plant material. They are then cooked to allow the alcohol or acetone to evaporate.
What’s left is a transparent, honey-coloured waxy substance. It usually melts into a puddle of oil when it is heated, but otherwise remains solid. The THC potency can vary from product to product, but in general you’re looking at around 70% THC. The colour can vary, too, depending on how long the plant material was soaked for. Look out for the strong smell of alcohol or acetone in honey oil – it means that the solvent wasn’t completely removed!
These oily kinds of hash can be used to make edibles or can be smoked. Some will sprinkle it on top of a regular bong hit, while others will use a special device called a dab rig. This involves vaporizing it in something that looks a lot like a water bong!
BHO – Butane Hash Oil
It’s the bomb. BHO is made much the same way as honey oil, except the solvent of choice is butane. Oh, and there’s no “cooking” the solvent away. It literally has to be blasted through a high-pressure piece of machinery. And in a second the solvent is removed from the mixture. What’s left is some extremely potent shatter, wax, oil – it all depends on how it is handled after extraction.
When it is extremely pure, it takes on the form of an amber coloured glass, and shattering like glass when you smash on it. BHO can reach up to 85% THC level if it’s done correctly, removing the remaining butane. We’re a step up from that finger hash our forefathers were making, aren’t we?
Cannabis concentrates usually retain the smell and taste of pure terpenoids. The solvent should technically dissolve the majority of cannabinoid, flavonoid and terpenoid profile, meaning that not much about the flavour is lost. However, if there is any Butane left in the final product, it isn’t just extremely dangerous, but it also tastes terrible.
Cannabis distillates – CO2 extraction method
If ever there was a Ferrari of cannabis concentrates or hash products, this would be the one. Cannabis distillates take solvent extraction to a whole new level, leaving us with products that are up to 99% cannabinoid concentration. We’re talking about the most epic hit of THC you’ve probably ever had.
The process of extraction using CO2 is complicated, and has different stages to ensure that the different cannabinoids are captured. This extraction method is extremely efficient, because it recognizes that CBD and THC have different boiling points.
This means if you want to extract everything, you have to do it in different stages, paying attention to the different boiling points of different components.
The final product looks like honey and can be used in so many different ways. It can be taken orally or even applied on the skin – yes! It’s potent enough to be absorbed into the blood stream through your skin. Or, finally, it can be used by inhaling it through a dabbing rig the same way you would using BHO or Honey oil. This product is definitely not for beginners.
Hash has come a very long way since we first realized we could extract the most powerful parts of cannabis. The beauty of hash is that a little bit goes a very long way in comparison to smoking flowers. Most dispensaries will stock a range of different kinds of hash to have something to suit everybody’s needs. Enjoy browsing through the many different kinds!
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