The internet is full of posts, reels, unboxings and reviews of new strains, growing methods, consumption trends or cannabis-based products. When browsing through this abundance, we also find influencers, specialised YouTube channels and multiple organisations whose purpose is to educate and provide information. The presentations of cannabis products have evolved continuously during the last decade. With improvements in the cannabinoid and terpene extraction processes, the range of possibilities has expanded, and each product has its particular features. In this post, we will examine some of the more popular presentations in Catalonia.
In the social media era, the cannabis culture is just one more culture that has become globalised. The online explosion of cannabis has many faces. We can find commercial, superficial and male sexist elements, but there are also people who pursue social, scientific, feminist and political activist agendas. A polyhedral algorithm that is growing exponentially. We cannot ignore the leadership role played by the US and Canada. However, there was already a pretty solid cultural base here in Spain, to a considerable degree thanks to projects with more than two decades of history behind them, such as the magazine Cáñamo [Hemp], the Cannabiscafe online forum or Marihuana TV.
It should be remembered that as we are moving in a market where there are no quality controls, with the intrinsic risks this entails, we must always critically evaluate potential aspects related to quality, adulteration and contamination.
The popularisation of the different cannabis products is closely linked to the refinement of techniques and better knowledge of how to handle cannabis plants and, more specifically, cannabis buds. In this review we will start with the more ancestral extractions and will be moving to the more modern ones.
Charas
This is the most traditional, atavistic way of extracting resin from the buds of live plants. Simply by rubbing your hands together, resin is extracted by friction. This technique is effective for preserving many terpenes. Its uses have been known for over a thousand years in India, specifically in the Himalayas, and also in Pakistan. There are records of its use in Hindu ceremonies, where it was consumed using clay pipes called chillums. Nowadays, you can find charas in some CSCs (cannabis social clubs) and it is consumed directly in joints, in bongs, by dabbing or vaping.
The following sections examine products obtained by sifting, with no use of solvents.
Hashish
The hippy culture of the 1960s and 1970s brought fame to certain hashish designations of origin, such as Morocco, Turkey, Lebanon or Afghanistan, where it was traditional to filter or sift the marijuana resin after the plants had dried. Depending on the sieve and the technique used, and the quality of the raw material, extractions were obtained with different cannabinoid concentrations that then had to be heat-pressed into a tablet. The goal pursued by this type of method is to concentrate and increase the strength, taste and aroma of the flowers used. THC concentrations in these traditional preparations was relatively low, between 5% and 15%.
Within the CSCs, we find an extensive repertory of hashish at different prices and coming from near and afar. THC and CBD concentrations are usually higher than on the illicit market, where products are often adulterated and are higher risk. A key factor for managing pleasures and risks is to know the product’s quality before consuming it; further information can be obtained about cannabinoid concentrations at the CSCs.
Dry Sift Hash
This is basically a refinement of hashish. Traditionally, it is known as kifi or kief. It is made using silk sieves that are much finer than those used with hashish, and are more effective in extracting trichomes. It has a very fine grain that fully preserves the plant’s terpene profile. The goal is to obtain similar trichomes to those obtained when the remains are collected from inside grinders that have a filter chamber. When vaped, it completely melts. THC concentration is much higher than that of commercial hashish, ranging between 30% and 50%. In better equipped laboratories, this technology has been improved by using dry ice (CO2) for extraction (fresh frozen dry sift), or even liquid nitrogen, which is much colder. With these techniques THC concentrations of 80% (nitro hash) can be obtained.
Bubble hash o Ice-O-Lator
In this case, ice is used to maintain a low water temperature in which fine mesh bags are immersed, similar to those of dry sift, with the plant material inside. The method consists of mechanically separating the crystallised resin, using centrifugal force to achieve an extraction with an even higher concentration. It is important to thoroughly dry the result; otherwise, mould may appear. Since the Bubbleator was invented by Mila Jansen, this preparation has become very popular and it is appreciated for its purity and capacity for preserving trichomes.
Rosin
Rosin has become very popular on the cannabis scene in the last ten years for its simplicity, safety and efficiency. Simply by applying pressure and heat to the buds a highly concentrated extract is obtained whose value lies in that it maintains the primary product’s organoleptic qualities intact. Rosin looks like honey and the THC concentration can be very high, up to 90%. This can give rise to overdose risks. As it is generally consumed by vaping or dabbing, consumers should proceed with considerable care and start with low doses in caution of what the effect is. It is increasingly common to see portable, hand-operated hydraulic presses in CSCs to make rosin to order. The days when this used to be done with an electric hair straightener are long gone. However, greaseproof or baking paper are still used as a barrier to separate the bud and the cannabis sample from the source of heat and pressure.
Any person who is a member of a cannabis association can pressure it to take an active stance in quality-controlling cannabis that is dispensed and ask for more information about provenance or growing methods. After all, it is what people who consume any other consumer product do. No-one likes being taken for a ride, and if an association does not look after its members, they will eventually go to another association that takes best practices more seriously. Basically, it is everyone’s responsibility to stand up for what we want.
You can read the second part of this post in the following entry in the RdRcannabis blog.
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