by Ed Rosenthal
Aficionados often describe the high that hash produces as more complex than that of unpressed material. In the region of traditional hash making, kief is aged, from harvest in August or September to January or February. Sometimes it is stored for an additional year before it is pressed. Most modern or home hash makers don't wait that long.
Once pressed, hash suffers little from aging. As long as it is water free, so it doesn’t mold, it can be stored for a long time. The outer surface oxidizes a little and forms a skin protecting the inner contents from deterioration.
Good quality hash is solid at room temperature. It can be supple, bending easily, or dense and brittle. Differences in color and density result from the quality of the starting material, harvesting method, pressing technique, the presence of impurities, storage method and aging. Hashish darkens from exposure to light, oxygen and heat. Regardless of its texture, high-quality hash should soften with the simple warmth of your hands.
COLLECTING FOR HASH
Before attempting to press kief or water hash, the material should be completely dry. Just before pressing, the material can be put through a last drying phase to ensure that all moisture has been eliminated. Place the kief or water hash in a food dehydrator set on the lowest setting, or microwave the material on low to remove the last vestiges of water.
These precautions against moisture improve the life span of hash so it can be stored without the threat of mold or spoilage because of trapped moisture.
COLLECTING BY HAND: RUBBING FOR HASH
There are many tales about collecting hash from fresh plants. Hand rubbing for hash has been a common gathering method for centuries in some parts of Asia, and it Is still a primary way of collecting hash in some parts of the world.
Because it requires no equipment, hand rubbing is a novel and spontaneous way to collect for hash, but this method also has several down sides
The effort required to produce a substantial yield is greater than the other methods. It can be messy and labor intensive.
Hash collected this way is subjected to more contaminants from plant debris and hands, and contains more water, making it more likely to spoil if it isn’t dried.
Hand rubbing requires access to live mature plants rather than dried trim and leaf. Unlike other methods, it can only be made at certain times in the growing cycle and cannot be made from trash that has been collected and stored.
Removing the collected resin from the hands can be an involved task. One way to solve this is to use latex or plastic gloves. When you are finished collecting, place the gloves in the freezer and the hash will peel off.
Having pointed out these shortcomings, hand rubbing can be used when the goal is a small amount of quality hash that will be used shortly after it is collected. Hand rubbing is a good way to salvage some of the THC before or during harvest and manicuring.
The amount of material collected through hand rubbing is dependent on timing and good technique. It is best to collect for hash when the plants’ stigmas have started to turn amber as they reach full maturity, but before the leafy material has become brown or dry. The more dead or dry the plant material, the more plant debris will be mixed in with the hash.
Removing dead or dried material before collection increases the quality of the hash. Collection should not be done when the plants are wet because this increases its water content. The morning is the best time for collection, before the terpenes evaporate.
Sticky resin builds up on tools and hands as the buds are trimmed. The resin is rich in cannabinoids shed by trichomes loosened from the bud. Don’t wash your tools and hands until you’ve scraped off and collected as much of the resin as possible. This is what is referred to as “finger hash.”
PRESSING HASHISH
Pressing transforms the collected material both chemically and physically. The glands are warmed and broken, releasing the sticky oils that contain the psychoactive cannabinoids, as well as the terpenes, the source of marijuana’s smell and taste.
Terpenes lend fragrance to the hash. Smells and flavors characteristic to hashish range from spicy or peppery to floral in quality. Terpenes are also volatile and contribute to the lung expansiveness, i.e., cough factor, as well as the taste. Aged kief is both milder in smell and flavor, and less cough inducing, because some of the terpenes, not the THC, transform to new compounds.
Material can be pressed into hash manually or mechanically. Manual methods involve some labor, and work well for smaller amounts of hashish. Mechanical pressing is very fast, convenient and efficient.
To make a small amount of hash, wrap some kief in cellophane and place it on the innersole of your shoe. The gentle body heat and pressure will convert the kief.
CAPSULES
Maybe you’ve wondered if it were possible to take a marijuana pill. Just pop it in your mouth with a gulp of water and enjoy the therapeutic and mind-enhancing effects of cannabis. Marijuana capsules, or “maripills” are very effective and quite easy to make.
This heavy-duty unit presses large amounts of kief. The Trimpro Jack Puck is available in 2, 6, and 8 ton models.
Hash-press machines, such as the Piecemaker, use a combination of heat and pressure to form convenient hash blocks. This handy tool presses small amounts of kief into hash “coins” about 1.5” (37 mm) wide.
Gelatin capsules are not vegetarian—they are made from cows. Some vegetarian capsules dissolve when exposed to oil. Test a capsule before purchasing for maripill use.
Some people really enjoy the high that results from eating marijuana, but tainted foods are not always predictable. Maripills can be a convenient alternative. Medical marijuana patients find capsules more effective than smoking for pain management. Recent studies suggest that cannabis has stronger analgesic and anti-inflammatory qualities when eaten.
Marijuana capsules begin to take effect 30-90 minutes after being eaten. It is easier to monitor the exact amount of cannabis that is being ingested. Psychoactive effects typically last 5-8 hours, but the herb’s medicinal effects may continue for as long as 12 hours.
Because maripills allow cannabis to be eaten without food, these capsules give the individual more choices. When taken on an empty stomach, the high is likely to come on more quickly, and may be more potent. When eaten following a meal, assimilation is slower and the effect is mellower but lasts longer. Medical users may find this increased control over effect reassuring.
The first-step in making marijuana capsules is grinding plant material to powder. The potency of the pill varies by the ingredients used to make it. The hierarchy of potency is kief, buds, trim and leaf.
If the stuffing material isn’t crispy, dry heat it gently for a few minutes or place it in a microwave. Mix it with cooking oil to make a paste with the consistency of a dry roux. Olive oil is an excellent choice because it is unlikely to become rancid. Butter is not a good choice unless the pills are to be kept refrigerated.
DECARBOXYLATION EXPLAINED
Some THC in resin is present in the form of THC-A, also called THC acid. This form of THC has a carbonate molecule (COOH) attached to it, which is also called a carboxyl group or acid. THC is only marginally psychoactive when a carboxyl group is attached. To decarboxylate is to remove the carbonate molecule. This simply means breaking the bond between COOH molecule and the THC molecule. This is usually accomplished through mild heat. When the carbonate molecule is removed from the THC acid, the COOH evaporates away in the form of water vapor (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2), and THC is left behind. Converting THC-A through decarboxylation improves the available THC content, sometimes called “potentiating” the THC. Extractors such as the one from MagicalButter build decarboxylation into the process.
www.magicalbutter.com
Pack the roux into gelatin capsules using a capsule-filling device. They are available at many health food stores. Capsule filling machines are small (about the size of a brick) and inexpensive (under $40). They simply hold the gelatin capsule in place, allowing many pills to
be filled at one time.
Size 0 capsules are recommended. This size is not too cumbersome to swallow, and can hold 325 milligrams of marijuana. Dosage may very between 1 and 5 capsules, depending on the potency of the material used.
COOKING
Eating cannabis foods is a healthy way to use marijuana without inhaling. It’s modern history dates back centuries before prohibition. In 19th-century Paris, the Club de Hachichins met for the express purpose of eating hashish. Authors and poets whose works we now consider to be classics were members. In the 1920s, Alice B. Toklas published her infamous brownie recipe that popularized brownies as the cannabis food of choice in modern times. More recently, “medicated” foods have become a common therapeutic alternative for medical marijuana use.
Eating marijuana is a different experience than inhaling it. It isn’t an immediate rush. Instead, the sensation begins gradually, about half-an hour to an hour after ingestion. The length of the lag time depends on a mostly on stomach contents. If you are full the high takes longer to come on and is not as intense. The high comes in “waves” reaching a peak an hour to two hours after the first effects were felt. Then it tapers to normal over the next hour. Altogether, the high usually lasts three to four hours.
Edibles are a good way to medicate.
Taking the right dose is more important when ingesting than inhaling. Since the onset of the high is rapid when marijuana is inhaled, it is easy to self tritrate, to find the proper level of high or medication. However, since the effects after eating take longer to occur, it is harder to adjust the dose.
If you are unfamiliar with the effects, it is best to err on the side of too little rather than too much. You can always eat more, but you have to wait out the effects if they are too intense. This can be an unpleasant experience, but it is not dangerous. Your body will continue to function, and you will come down in a few hours.
The secret to creating tasty and effective cannabis food lies in transforming the cannabis into a cooking ingredient.
Using cannabis preparations and a little ingenuity, can turn tried-and-true favorites and cookbook recipes into cannabis treats. Recipes designed specifically for marijuana-enhancement are available in cannabis cookbooks and on the web. If you aren’t a consummate cook, you can always take the easy way out and use a ready-made mix. It is easy to make a good consumable once you understand how the THC is extracted and how the body processes eaten marijuana.
HOW IT WORKS
It’s obvious that cooking with marijuana is not rocket science; still, following a few simple procedures in preparing the herb results in a better product and a more enjoyable experience. THC and the cannabinoids are not water-soluble. In order to create a satisfactory cannabis consumable, the THC-bearing plant material must be combined with an ingredient that can dissolve it. Ingredients with this capacity are alcohol, oil, butter or fat and lecithin-containing milk products.
Mild heat also plays a role in cannabis cooking. Some THC on the marijuana plant is in the form of THC-A. For THC-A to become psychoactive it must lose its carbonate molecule, COOH, which evaporates under low heat.
When heating cannabis the temperature should be kept below 100° F (38° C) so the terpenes do not evaporate. When all the water has evaporated and the vegetation feels crisp, it is ready to use.
THC has a boiling temperature of 392° F (200° C). Once it reaches or passes this temperature, it begins evaporating into the air. To activate the THC without evaporating it, pay attention to the cooking temperature used.
In recipes such as the ever-famous brownies, the oven temperature is often set at 400° F (205° C). This is okay. The batter never reaches this temperature. If you’ve ever roasted food, you know that if the oven is set at a temperature around 350° F (175° C), but it takes the thermometer inserted in the food several hours to reach a temperature of 200° F (93° C). Baking temperatures indicate oven temperature settings, not the temperature of the food.
The real danger of cannabinoid depletion comes with stovetop cooking. Sautéing or frying temperatures reach 400° F (205° C), above THC’s boiling point, when cooking on high heat. At this temperature the cannabinoids boil off. Closely monitor stovetop cooking to avoid cooking away the THC. The best way to use marijuana in a sauté is to add it when the dish is almost done. Treat the cannabis as you would an herb like basil- use it last and only allow it to be under the heat briefly. This way the active ingredient doesn’t heat up and evaporate.
MAKING MARIJUANA EDIBLES
Making marijuana edibles is not difficult once you have prepared the appropriate cannabis infused base ingredients. With infused butter or oil on hand, it can be easily incorporated into any recipe.
THC is oil soluble so it dissolves in oils, fats and alcohol. To start most recipes you infuse the fat or oil with marijuana. If you do not want to use a fatty ingredient, you can sprinkle kief or ground trim in with the flour or dry ingredients of a recipe.
HOW TO MAKE BUTTER
To make edibles it is easiest to use infused butter. The key to making good, potent, butter is to cook on low heat for a longer amount of time. Both butter and clarified ghee can be used.
Making cannabis butter.
MAGICAL BUTTER
With medical and full legalization, techniques are being developed for producing marijuana-infused products of a consistent dose. Extraction is getting simpler using innovative equipment that is convenient to use.
The Botanical Extractor from MagicalButter is an example of a modern kitchen appliance. This self-cleaning extractor does all the work. You just add the ingredients and the machine makes the extraction. It grinds and decarboxylates, which potentiates the THC while minimizing odors. It can be used with oils as well as butter.
www.magicalbutter.com
The Magical Butter Extractor can be used with oils as well as butter.
Grind the desired amount of cannabis in a coffee grinder or blender. Decide how many doses you are making, then add the right amount for each portion.
Cook the butter or oil and cannabis together on medium to low heat for at least an hour. A double boiler or a slow cooker conveniently maintains a low, steady temperature for about an hour. For stronger edibles, do not strain the leaf out of the finished butter. For lighter, more traditional looking treats, strain the leaf out with fresh pantyhose or a colander. The butter or oil is ready to be used.
You can also add powdered kief, bud or leaf or sprinkle them over foods. They will bind to the fats in the foods before or after being eaten.
CLEANING UP
You’ve harvested the crop, trimmed and dried the buds, and enjoyed your fresh hash and kief—but it’s everywhere! After harvest, inevitably everything in your home or greenhouse, from floors to windows, door handles and furniture, is covered with resin and leaves.
To clean hard surfaces such as counter-tops, cabinets, windows and floors spray a layer of diluted BioGreenClean© and allow the solution to sit a couple minutes before wiping away. The hash and resin will lift right off. Wipe down with hydrogen peroxide to sterilize surfaces and tools.
To clean your pipes, fill a bucket or vat with diluted BioGreenClean® and allow them to soak for at least a couple hours, depending on how much resin they have accumulated. They will just need a quick rinse to look as good as new!
PART V QUICK POINTS: HARVEST, RESTARTING & POST-HARVEST
HARVEST
When the bud is ripe it is time to harvest, and it is ready to be trimmed, or manicured. Manicuring is the process of removing the leaves that are growing around the buds. The best time to manicure is when the plants are freshly picked. Fresh vegetation is turgid with moisture, so it is easy to handle while it is being clipped. Just as important, the trichomes that hold THC and the terpenes are pliable rather than brittle and more likely to stay attached to the plant.
Once you have harvested, use plenty of light when manicuring so you can see clearly exactly what you are doing. There are four steps to trimming ripe marijuana:
clipping the stem from the plant, clipping the buds from the stem, removing the large leaves and removing the small leaves from the bud. The steps can be performed as one integrated operation or in steps. The choice depends on the size of the crop, the number of people trimming and most importantly, your preference.
The trimming space should include three sections: the holding area, the processing area and the curing-drying area. Curing is the process after harvest but before drying, during which many of the cell’s metabolic processes continue for a little longer. Save the trim from the processing area. While sun leaves and trim are unsuitable for smoking they can be used for making kief, bubble hash, and ingestibles.
Drying large amounts of buds requires air circulation and ventilation. Fans create a draft that promotes evaporation, and ventilation exchanges moist air for dryer air.
The quality of marijuana improves for several weeks after it is dried because THC acid loses its water molecule and becomes psychoactive. Buds that are cured properly and dried slowly have the smooth draw of fine herb. Fast-dried pot has a harsher, rougher smoke. Buds should be disturbed as little as possible before they are smoked. Every time they are moved, unpacked, or handled, resin glands fall off.
Things to Know
•The advantage to harvesting buds as they ripen is that those previouly hidden in the lower canopy are also allowed a chance to fully mature.