Hashish

Hashish (better known as Hash) is the resin glands collected from the flowers of the cannabis plant known as Trichomes. The primary active substance is Delta9 THC, although over 80 other Cannabinoids are produced in smaller, often trace amounts.

The best quality hash is traditionally produced In Northern Africa, the Middle East and major parts of Asia, like India. However it is becoming increasingly more common to see it produced in North America.

Hash can be smoked in pipes, water pipes, joints, and hookahs, sometimes mixed with cannabis flowers or tobacco. It can also be eaten.

A well-known method of using hash is the "knife-hit" method. Hash is placed on very hot pieces of metal and the resulting vapor inhaled. "Knife hits" is a method that involves heating up knives on a stove, crushing a little ball of the hash between them and inhaling the released vapor through a tube or straw. Hash cones is a method where a piece of hash is attached to a pin or metal wire and then heated.

Appearance and Location of Origin

The quality of hashish is dependent on two things: The country and especially the region where the cannabis is grown, and the production process.

The end result of the production process is for a great part dependent on the soil, the climate and the manner of extraction of the resin.

Also the effects differ slightly. The "black" hashish, like Afghan and Nepalese have a more dreamy, tranquil effect, while the "blonde" kinds, like the Moroccan, have a more active "head high" effect.

• Moroccan - a dark green to grey white green hashish with a spicy smell.
• Afghani - a black, oily hashish with a sweet, spicy smell. The wars in Afghanistan did not stop the production and export of this product.
• Lebanese - This can be divided in the "yellow" and the "red" Lebanese. This hashish gives a pleasant smoke, with an aromatic taste, and was very sought after, until the civil war in Lebanon, after which the export came to a factual standstill.
• Turkish - a potent hashish, pressed to almost paper thin leaves.
• Pakistani - dark green, turning black on the outside. comparable to Afghan
• Nepalese: grey/black hashish, with a peculiar, patchouli-like smell. The better qualities are hard to find.
• Kashmir - a rare (also because of internal struggles), and top-of-the-bill hashish. Usually referred to as "Charas" by local natives.
• India - In India, Hasjeesh is smoked for religious purposes, for meditation and to induce trances. For this a very potent hashish: Temple hash is smoked in chillums (straight conical pipes), made from clay, stone or wood.

Ice-o-lator is a high potency, hash like cannabis-product. See Ice-o-lator

Quality

The production processes differ in different countries, but generally it can be said that the quality of hashish depends on the relation between resin and plant matter.

North American Dry Sifting methods and the Water Hash often produce the highest quality, and most pure Hash, due to the size of the screen and knowledge of Trichome size. Water hash also breaks less glandular heads open, resulting in more rapid degradation. Rub hash, can be very pure, depending on the "finesse" if the maker.

Rubbing the hands softly on cannabis plants is considered the best way of making hashish in India. During hand-harvesting the resin sticks to one's palms and by the end of the day one has perhaps 8 or 9 grams of charas. See Charas.