What is Hashish?

Hashish may be a foreign term to most Americans. When they learn it’s a drug, many people would assume it’s some strange and unusual substance. Hashish is a type of marijuana. Although hashish is more concentrated than herbal cannabis in general, it produces the same effects as normal marijuana. However, because it is a concentrated form of marijuana, it can have more powerful and extreme effects when consumed in high doses. In addition, it is frequently used illegitimately, which makes things difficult.

What Are the Dangers of This Drug and What Happens if You Take It? Find out more about hashish’s mental and physical side effects, as well as how to avoid problems and address the consequences.

What is Hashish?

Hash is a type of cannabis that’s extracted from the plant, usually for recreational use. Hash resin is gathered from cannabis plants and concentrated to form a potent kind of marijuana, generally for leisure use. Hash resin is crushed into bricks or balls of concentrated hash to make hash bricks or hash balls. Small pieces are cut off, then smoked. Hash doesn’t burn easily on its own, so it’s commonly combined with cannabis herbs or tobacco to create a joint.

Hash has a similar chemical profile to other cannabis varieties, including THC and CBD, as well as a number of cannabinoids.

However, sifted, refined, and concentrated hash is considerably more powerful than ordinary herb marijuana. To avoid uncomfortable side effects such as drowsiness, anxiety, or delusions, individuals generally use a tiny quantity at a time.

Hash, on the other hand, is more popular in Europe and Asia than herbal marijuana. It’s uncertain where hashish came from, but it was referred to in India and Egypt before smoking became common practice in the 1500s. Hashish was consumed previously before smoking became widespread, which had a milder impact. The psychoactive components are absorbed less efficiently by the intestines and are therefore less likely to make it into circulation.

Where does hash originate?

The word “hashish” comes from the Arabic language, which roughly translates to “grass.” It is believed that the popularization of hash began sometime in the ninth century AD, although certain hash strains, such as charas, which is the collection of resin on the hands of cannabis farmers, are said to have existed before recorded history. Mahjoun, a sweets treat dusted with hashish, is thought to have been Morocco’s first cannabis edibles and to have developed there.

In 1798, French troops brought hashish home after their campaign in Egypt, and it became fashionable throughout the West in the 19th century. For years, European doctors imported hashish for study, which led to the development of innovative extraction techniques that culminated in cannabis tinctures and medicines.

Cannabis extracts were being made in drug shops in the United States and Europe by the turn of the century. It was not until cannabis prohibition in the United States began in 1913 that hash products were discontinued and returned to illicit trade.

With the resurgence of interest in cannabis in the 1960s, hash returned to the limelight. Western countries such as Nepal, Afghanistan, and Morocco saw a rise in hash exportation. Imported hash was then mostly available in the form of hard-pressed bricks produced by heat and pressure.

The first gland-separating machine was introduced to the West in the late 1980s, after a gadget called the “master sifter” was invented. According to Ed Rosenthal’s book Beyond Buds, this Gallardi device used vibration to separate trichome glands from plant material.

During this time, Neil Schumacher and Rob Clarke began experimenting with water extraction methods, which became the basis for bubble hash and ice water hash.

In 1997, Reinhard C. Delp brought ice water extraction to the attention of the world with his High Times Cannabis Cup presentation. His patents were later copied and modified by Mila Jansen, who used pollinator isolation bags in her technique.

Bubbleman’s BubbleBags, one of only a few companies worldwide with a leased permission to utilize methods from the original 1999 patent, would further develop this design.

What’s the difference between hash and other cannabis concentrates?

Hash is a cannabis concentrate that’s been used for hundreds of years, while most other cannabis concentrates have emerged in the last few decades with advances in extraction technology.

Hash is simple to produce, and there are a variety of methods for doing it. It may be made in any home safely and without the need for special equipment. Except for rosin, most other concentrates—including shatter—need specialist equipment and must be completed by knowledgeable, licensed, and experienced experts.

If you want to make solvent cannabis extractions on your own, be sure to purchase any concentrate from a licensed business, as it will require the components to be tested in order for you to know that you are receiving a substance free of contaminants or other hazardous chemicals.

Different types of hash

Dry sift hash

A dry sift, also known as a dry sieve, is an assortment of refined resin glands taken from cannabis flower that have been filtered through a series of fine mesh screens. It’s essentially the same thing as kief in its most basic form. Dry sift is achieved by extractingors rubbing, rolling, and tumbling dried cannabis over a finely woven mesh screen. The trichome heads go through the screen as a result of this agitation, removing dried resin glands from the plant material.

To further refine the hash, extractors typically rub the dry sift through a number of screens with progressively finer meshes.

The powdery resin is commonly added to a bowl or sprinkled into a connection in order to increase its strength. Others prefer to press it into hash or rosin for dabbing.

Bubble hash (ice water hash)

Cannabis buds are immersed in ice water to create ice hash, also known as ice water hash. The trichomes on the plant are broken off using motion or agitation, and the liquid is filtered through a series of fine screen bags.

The resin is sucked out of the cannabis and collected, and the material becomes bubble hash. Its color and consistency may be dry or oily, and it has a greasy feel. Hash is graded on a star scale, with six stars representing the greatest refinement and quality; one star represents the lowest refinement and quality.

High-quality ice water hash, often known as “full melt” or “ice wax,” can be dabbed, while low-quality grades are commonly pressed into rosin and smoked like a regular hash. Ice water hash is generally referred to as “washing” because bubble hashmakers may utilize specially designed washing machines to mix plant material.

How do you smoke hash?

Hash can be consumed in a number of ways.

• Hash has traditionally been chewed, most often in the form of a solid or mixed into bhang, the traditional Indian drink.
• Hash can be smoked alone or with flower in a bowl, or it may be rolled into a joint.
• Dabbing certain types of hash produces little residue. Dabbed hashes, which are high-quality and melt completely in a nail, leave little residue.

A pipe or a bong are the first items you’ll need to smoke hash. If dabbing, you’ll need a dab rig, dab tool, and heating mechanism, such as a torch or e-nail.

Because hash is a concentrate, its effects will be considerably more powerful than cannabis flower smoking. Hash THC concentration varies from 40 to 80%, whereas flower generally falls within the 15-25% range.

The Effects of Hashish

What are the health effects of hash use?

Short-term hashish use has been linked to memory and learning difficulties, visual distortion (sight, sound, time, touch), intellectual slowness, difficulty in thinking and problem solving, coordination problems, and increased heart rate, anxiety, and panic attacks. The effects may be greater owing to the high concentration of THC present in hash and other concentrates.

THC is absorbed by fatty tissues in numerous organs, which means that its presence in urine days after a usage session might be indicative of chronic usage. THC traces can sometimes be detected for weeks after a person has stopped using marijuana or its concentrates, according to most testing procedures.

THC concentration in hashish is typically many times higher than the THC levels present in typical marijuana. The amount of THC found in marijuana has dramatically increased over the last two decades. According to drug tests conducted by the DEA, cannabis’ percentage of THC has risen from around 4% in 1998 to over 15.5% in 2018.

The long-term consequences of hashish or marijuana concentrates use are yet unknown; however, research on long-term marijuana plant use has been done.

• Paranoia, anxiety, panic attacks, and hallucinations are all common psychological effects.
• It’s possible that your heart rate and blood pressure will change.
• People who smoke marijuana on a regular basis often suffer from the same respiratory issues as cigarette smokers. They may have daily cough and phlegam, signs of chronic bronchitis, and more frequent chest colds. They are more prone to lung infections like pneumonia than nonsmokers. Marijuana smoke contains some of the same cancer-causing compounds that cigarette smoke does (toxins and tar).
• Marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) have an adverse impact on memory, judgment, and perception. Users of marijuana frequently demonstrate diminished learning and attention abilities.

According to studies, marijuana use before puberty has a negative influence on brain development and IQ.

Hash addictive potential

A substance is addicting if it causes compulsive, uncontrollable drug cravings, seeking, and use, regardless of the potential negative health and social effects. While not everyone who uses marijuana or hashish(THC) becomes addicted, when a user begins to seek out and take the substance compulsively, he or she is considered dependent or addicted to it.

A tolerance to marijuana develops for frequent, heavy users (THC). Tolerance implies that the user needs higher dosages of the drug in order to achieve the same intended benefits as before.

Long-term marijuana users may suffer from withdrawal and addiction issues as a result of their usage. The following are some of the milder symptoms associated with quitting:

• irritability
• trouble sleeping
• decreased appetite
• anxiety
• cravings

There are no medications available to treat marijuana addiction, but behavioral therapy can help. If you wish to get treatment for marijuana addiction, see your doctor first.