Around for over a millennium, hash, also known as hashish, is made up of compressed, concentrated trichomes. Typically smoked using a water pipe or join, hash is an easy way to consume the world’s favorite herb. But there are some critical differences between hash and dry herb cannabis to keep in mind. Wondering, what is hash and how do I make it? Let Hydroponique be your guide.

What Is Hash?

Technically, it’s the compressed form of a cannabis’s resin glands, also known as trichomes. May people enjoy sprinkling a little in their silicone bong or joint for an added kick (remember: hashish is more potent than dry herb weed).

The word “hash” comes from the Arabic word for grass. According to research, people have been smoking it since at least the 12th century AD, especially in the Middle East and Asia. Today, people make hash from the kief found in the bottom of their grinder or buy it at their local dispensary.

Is Hash the Same Thing as Hashish?

Yes, both terms refer to the concentrated, compressed cannabis trichomes (also known as kief) that is typically a golden or brown color. What is hash? It’s also known as hashish or charas and can be made at home or in an industrial setting.

4 Ways to Smoke Hash

The most common way is to smoke it in a joint or silicone bong or dab it. You can also add a little to a bowl of dry herb cannabis, or dab certain kinds via a dab pen or rig. Typically, hash oil is best for dabbing, though hash may be used with a screen to avoid carbon residue. Keep reading for an overview of different kinds of hashish (and which are appropriate for dabbing).

Fun fact: In India, people drink it in a traditional beverage called bhang.

6 Types of Hash for Smoking and Dabbing

Hashish has been around for a long time--meaning that there are lots of different kinds in existence. Though they produce approximately the same effects, different kinds of this concentrate are best consumed in various ways. Most can be divided into six main types:

1. Hand-Rubbed Hashish
2. Dry-Sift Hash
3. Rosin
4. Solvent-Extracted Hash - BHO
5. Bubble Hash (Frozen)
6. made from the plant’s trichomes 

Hand-Rubbed Hashish

This technique is ancient and still widely practiced across Asian and the Middle East. In fact, it's one of the first known examples of weed use in cannabis history.

Hand-rubbing is exactly what it sounds like: a person collects resin from cannabis plants by running through a cannabis field. The resin is then rolled into small spheres and cures--a process that can take years. Charas is an example of hand-rubbed hash from India.

Dry Sift Hash

This is the more commercial form of production that you’ll probably encounter in the U.S. After a cannabis plant is fully-grown, harvested, and dried, a budtender will collect resin by shaking the plant and running a mesh screen over it. The tighter the mesh, the finer quality of the final product. The vehemence of shaking matters, too: hash that results from plants that are only shaken briefly will be higher quality because it will result from only the most fully-formed trichomes.

Rosin, hash, and kief can all result from dry sift processes. Sometimes, freezing and dry ice are included in these processes.

Rosin, or Heat and Pressure-Exposed Hash

You may be more familiar with the term rosin. Rosin is technically a form of hash oil: a sappy, sometimes clear, sometimes shatter-like extract that results from exposing hash to heat and pressure. Sometimes, it contains a variety of cannabinoids and flavonoids; other times, the producer will filter out some of the full-spectrum elements.

What is the difference between resin, rosin, and live resin?

• Resin is the unprocessed sap that originates from unprocessed cannabis plants.
• Rosin is an extract that results from exposure to pressure and heat. Solvents are not used in its production.
• Live resin is a cannabis extract that results from freezing fresh weed, then beginning the extraction process. It is renowned for its terpene flavor profile, though the process of producing live resin is costly and requires expensive machinery.

Rosin--the kind that is made from hash--is very popular because it doesn’t use gas such as butane or propane and does not require expensive machinery. When a gas such as butane is introduced to the production process (think: BHO), the manufacturer has to ensure that all traces of solvent are gone. Rosin can also be made at home and cheaply. If made properly, rosin has a delicious flavor profile.

Solvent-Extracted Hash or BHO

BHO, or butane hash oil, is the most common example of solvent-extracted hash. In broad terms, it’s any cannabis concentrate created using butane as a solvent to extract the resin from a plant’s trichomes. It can come in a variety of colors and textures, including shatter, badder, and crumble.

Different from rosin, which dispensaries and individuals can easily manufacture themselves, BHO production should only be attempted by licensed professionals. Not only is butane a dangerous gas to work with, but the final BHO must be free from traces of the solvent to be safe for human consumption.

What Is Bubble Hash?

Another concentrate, bubble hash is made not with solvents like butane but with shaking, several sieves, and ice water. In at-home methods, the cannabis plant will be put in a mesh bag with a large screen. It’s then added to a bucket or machine that contains ice water.

When the water is stirred, the trichome crystals on the cannabis plant will freeze and break off. This ice water and trichome mixture is then filtered through several sieves, of finer and finer mesh. Much like dry sift hash, the finer the filter, the higher quality the final product.

Why is it called “bubble hash”? When you smoke it, you’ll notice that it bubbles when heated.

Similar to the process of creating rosin, bubble hash involves freezing the plant’s trichomes, then making trichomes into a metal sieve with screens that then filter the concentrate.

The final product varies in quality: Most agree that “full melt” bubble hash is the best--meaning that it completely evaporates when heated without leaving behind any plant matter. Typically, it’s rated on a scale of 1 to 6 stars, 6 being considered “full melt” bubble.

Is There a Best Type of Hash?

It depends on who you ask and what you’re going for. Typically, BHO will be the strongest--it has the largest amount of THC—though may not have the most diverse flavor profile. Some prefer bubble hash or rosin because it does not include the chemicals needed for solvent-based extraction. A lot may come down to price point: rosin will be cheaper than bubble or BHO.