How to Make Hash

Learning how to make hash at home is much easier then it sounds. This comprehensive beginner’s guide will cover everything you need to know about hash and the 3 best methods to make it at home. We made sure that these methods are beginner-friendly so everyone will be able to use them!

These at-home methods of making hash are tried, tested, and really easy to experiment with. They allow you to make hash without solvents which we strongly agree with as solvents are potentially harmful if not handled carefully. We recommend avoiding solvents and using these natural methods instead!

What is Hash

Hash is simply a cannabis extract that is formed by collecting and compressing the trichomes found on the cannabis plant. These trichomes, which are actually a defence mechanism of the cannabis plant against herbivores, are resin glands that give the hash it’s waxy and sticky texture.

How to Make Hash at Home – 3 Best Methods

With the rising popularity of cannabis and cannabis-related products all over the world, there is an increasing trend towards making hash at home. If you, too, landed here in search of such methods, read on because we’ll be discussing the 3 best way to make hash at home!

How to Make Hash Without Equipment:

This is a simple method that involves no equipment and requires only your bare hands; hand rolling is without a doubt the easiest way to make hash. People who own farms and have had the chance to harvest weed might resonate with us here. Even though it is a simple and organic way of achieving your desired results, hand-rolling requires a lot of hard work, time, and results in low yields. So be prepared to invest a lot of time in this activity.

Step 1: Clean Your Hands

Make sure that your hands are clean and free of scent for the best organic results possible. That means you should not use scented soaps or moisturizers before making hash by hand rolling.

Trichomes are found throughout the cannabis plant; on its leaves, stems, flowers and buds. However, it is advised that you use quality cannabis buds for this particular activity to get a better yield.

Step 2: Rub The Cannabis Buds Between The Palms of Your Hands

Once you have the cannabis buds, you can start rubbing them between the palms of your hand. Make sure to not apply too much pressure, as it may contaminate the resin collected on your hand with the undesirable stem and leaf particles. These will not only hamper taste but will also remain impure no matter what. Furthermore, be cautious of the amount of force used.

Watch this video on YouTube.

Step 3: Collect The Resin

Keep rolling the cannabis buds until a resin-like texture starts to appear on the palm of your hands. Carefully collect and scrape this resin onto a clean surface. We recommend using parchment paper, but any clean surface will work. As mentioned above, this is a time-consuming process, so be patient. Once you have collected a substantial amount of trichomes on a clean surface, the next step is to compress it.

Step 4: Press The Resin Into Hash

Gradually start pressing the resin matter between your fingers by applying pressure or simply press it against a surface repeatedly until the gooey paste becomes more solid. If using parchment paper, just fold the paper over the hash and apply pressure to it.

How to Smoke Hand Rolled Hash

Your charas, as the North Indians like to call it; is now ready and in good shape to be smoked up in a joint or in a traditional chillum. You have the option to bake some hash brownies or take some strong bong hits. Not to forget, it can be vaporized in your vape pens as well! Hash is very versatile and can be used in many applications.

How to Make Hash With Household Items:

If you feel you lack the hand rolling skill, don’t worry. Here is a step by step guide on how to make hash with household items.

How to Make Hash Using a Blender and Ice Cubes

This method requires a blender and ice cubes which most people will have available to them. You will also need a few other pieces of equipment such as containers, filters, a freezer, and of course cannabis.

You will need:

• Cannabis
• Freezer
• Blender
• Ice Cubes
• Cheesecloth
• Glass Jars / Containers
• Paper Coffee Filter

You can break this activity up into two parts. One is where you extract the hash from the plants, the second part is drying the hash after it’s been soaked in water.

Step 1: Freeze the Cannabis Buds

First, place the cannabis buds in the freezer for at least 2 hours prior to making the hash. This will allow the trichomes to separate from the cannabis much easier in the next step.

Step 2: Blend Cannabis, Ice Cubes and Water Together

Remove the frozen cannabis buds from the freezer and put them into a blender alongside ice cubes and water. We recommend using approximately 7 grams (1/4 oz) of cannabis, 2 cups of water, and 6 ice cubes for best results. The next step is to blend thoroughly until a thick paste forms. It should resemble a light brown sand colour, if it’s too green, you have over blended it.

Step 3: Filter The Mixture Through a Cheesecloth Into a Glass Jar

Pour the blended paste mixture through a cheesecloth into a glass jar/ container. Ensure no plant matter falls into the jar. Pour clean water over the plant matter in the cheesecloth and press down on it to help extract as many trichomes as possible. (You are just trying to drain the THC rich water into the jar)

Place the blended cannabis that is in the cheesecloth on the side to dry. Some people like to use this, but we usually just throw it away.

Add a few ice cubes to the jar and place it in the refrigerator. You will notice solid particles at the bottom of the jar starting to form.

Step 4: Repeat The Above Process With Several Small Batches

Depending on the amount of cannabis you are trying to convert into hash, you might need to repeat these steps several times. We recommend doing it in smaller batches for best results.

Step 5: Allow Trichomes to Accumulate

Every 10 minutes gently agitate the top of the mixture in the jar to help the trichomes sink to the bottom. Ensure you are gentle enough so the trichomes at the bottom are not disturbed. After 45 minutes carefully pour out the top half of the water mixture that has no trichomes in it. Be careful to not let any of the THC rich sediment slip away.

If using multiple jars, combine both the jars together. Repeat these steps until all the bottom halves of the jars are in one main container/jar.

Step 6: Filter the Hash From The Jar

Pour the remaining water and trichome rich mixture through a paper coffee filter (let it drain over another jar or sink). We found the filter we used started getting clogged once enough trichomes accumulated inside. We taped the filter to the cup and left it for a few hours until all the water was drained. We also used a spoon to carefully ‘scrape’ the bottom of the filter to help unclog it.

After most of the liquid has drained through the filter, close the top half of the filter together and squeeze out the remaining liquid. Paper filters are fragile so be gentle.

Open the filter up and the remaining residue you see is the wet hash! Scrape this residue onto a dry clean surface. The first time around, we let the hash dry inside the coffee filter (see image below). Unfortunately, it was hard to remove without bringing small pieces of paper with it. We recommend placing it on wax paper to dry. This makes it easy and simple to remove after.

Step 7: Dry The Hash

Press the hash into the shape you like and allow it to air dry. To speed up the process you can let it dry in the sun, just be careful as it can quickly melt depending on the heat. You can also utilize a blow dryer to get rid of the moisture inside.

The end result was a small pile of dark green/ brown hash. We transferred the wet hash to waxpaper and this is how it turned out after 24 hours of drying.

Here is a video showing a similar method using just water and ice without a blender. This method is better if you have larger quantities of cannabis you are turning into hash.

Watch this video on YouTube.

How to Make Hash With Kief

Someone who regularly smokes cannabis usually ends up with a powdered residue that accumulates in their grinders. This residue is basically the cannabis trichomes we discussed above. These trichomes are potent and can be used to make hash oil, cannabutter, and you can even convert this kief into regular hash.

Step 1: Heat & Apply Pressure

This is a pretty simple method where you just need to heat the kief and apply pressure to compress it. Heating the kief ruptures the trichomes, altering their physical structure and thus leading to a more cohesive residue. The more pressure you apply on the kief the darker the colour of the resultant hash.

Place the kief in parchment paper and fold the paper in half. Press the heat pads of a hair straighter over the folded parchment paper where the kief is. This will combine the trichomes into a solid piece of homemade hash.

The video below is a good reference and visual on how to make hash using kief:

Watch this video on YouTube.

So there you have it folks, three ways to make hash at home. These methods are easy to follow and very straight forward. Leave a comment below which method you used and how it turned out!

History of Hash

‘When you smoke the herb, it reveals you to yourself’ said Bob Marley back in the day! Hash goes by many names across the world. In the Arab world, it is known as hashish. If we take a look at the origin of the word, we will come to know that it has its roots in the Arabic language. The Term Assis was first used in Cairo when some Muslims were accused of hash consumption. The stigma surrounding this cannabis concentrate is still persistent in Arab countries where there are strict laws pertaining to the possession and consumption of hash.

Check out this tourist from Europe outside a hashish store in the ancient city of Peshawar, located in Pakistan, during the early ’90s.

What Are The Different Types of Hash?

Now before we dive into “how to make hash”, let us first discuss the different types of hash available. Back in the day, there was only one thing that was called ‘hash’. Now with the help of modern technology, there are many different versions of it. The different types are:

Bubble Hash

Bubble hash is made by using a technique that requires water, ice, and bubble bags. This process makes the trichomes fall off the cannabis buds which are then filtered through micron bags. The more the hash has been filtered, the higher the quality of the final product. It’s a more potent version of kief.

Kief

Kief usually refers to the trichomes/cannabis residue that collects at the very bottom of a 3 or 4-piece grinder. The ground cannabis sits on a screen which allows the resin to fall through and accumulate. After a while, a green powder will start to form in the bottom compartment of the grinder.

Pressed Hash

This is the most common and prevalent type of hash found around the world. It is made by compressing the trichomes (kief) into one solid piece. It is usually a dark brown/ black colour.

Marijuana rosin

Rosin is a very simple form of hash. It is made by using heat to remove the trichomes from the cannabis plant. Place cannabis buds in parchment paper and press the heat pads of a hair straighter over the buds. This will melt the resin off. Once cooled you can scrape it from the parchment paper.

Indian Charas or Finger Hash

This is an ancient technique to make hash using no equipment. The process involves rubbing fresh cannabis buds in the palms of your hands. After a while the resin accumulates on the palms and can be scraped of. This oily resin is rich in THC.

Garda

This is a type of hash made in Afghanistan. The cannabis plants are put through many levels of processing to extract the trichomes. The trichomes are then threshed and sieved to create a fine powder. The quality of the Garda depends on the amount of processing it was put through.

BHO – Butane Hash Oil

Butane hash oil is a very potent form of concentrate that can contain up to 85% THC. Made by an extraction method that uses butane in combination with a high pressure machine. The end result is an amber colored shatter that is very potent.

Honey Oil

A potent form of hash that is made by using a solvent. The process involves soaking the cannabis buds in acetone or alcohol, this extracts the THC from the buds. The buds are then heated up and ‘cooked’ until all the solvent has evaporated out. This type of concentrate can contain up to 70% THC.

Cannabis Distillates – CO2 extraction method

This is a complex extraction method involving CO2 that results in a pure 99% THC concentrate. The process involves different stages to ensure each cannabinoid (CBD and THC) is captured in the extraction. The final product resembles honey and can be used in many different ways.

How to Check The Quality of Hash?

Learning how to check the quality of hash is very important if you are going to be using it. As a general rule first, the hash should smell fresh. A plastic-like aroma, henna-like smells or overall foul, stale smells could mean that it is either contaminated or of substandard quality. Furthermore, it should have a pleasant odour to it.

As for its appearance, this depends on the type of hash you have. Hand-rubbed hash should be brownish-black. Upon pressing, it should be somewhat brown with a tint of green (but not too much green). It should also have a smooth and sticky texture, hard when cold, soft and gooey when heated.

For the dry sift, the lightly pressed hash should be grainy upon touching and have a matte blondish brown colour. Hard-pressed hash is shiny and can be darker in colour.

Which Country Has The Best Hash?

Hashish can be found in many places around the world, but the most popular stoner destinations are specific areas in America, Canada, Morocco, Jamaica, India, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

In North America, the quality and potency of hash have exponentially increased since the legalization of medical cannabis. Nowadays, since most cannabis is genetically modified and practically grown in a lab, the amount of THC is magnitudes more than it once was. This translates into the concentrate being more potent than ever before.

In the Indian Subcontinent, hash goes by the name Charas and the plant goes by the name Gaanja, which is a Sanskrit word for marijuana. Gaanja has been referenced in Vedas (religious text) and thus the cultivation and recreational use of Gaanja (marijuana) in Hindu culture dates back centuries. There is documented evidence of its usage for spiritual purposes by various Hindu Gods.

In Pakistan and Afghanistan, hash goes by the name Garda and its superior quality has attracted many tourists since the inception of Pakistan. Unfortunately, legalities changed and its cultivation and distribution are illegal now.

The Effects of Hash

Fair Warning: hash is more potent than regular cannabis, so if you’re a beginner trying it for the first time, we recommend doing it with someone you trust. Having someone to talk you through the experience keeps you calm and enhances it for you.

What to expect? Well, you’re probably in for an uncontrollable laughter session, red eyes and the zoned-out bliss that accompanies hash consumption. It usually produces a body high, but certain types can produce more psychoactive effects.