What Is the Difference Between Hash and Marijuana?
You are probably not the only person who gets easily confused about hash and marijuana. This is a pretty valid issue, as there is a lot of fuss about cannabis in general.
Must Read: Will Sativa Keep Me Awake at Night?
It has become increasingly well known, and within the last decade, weed has been legalized in many states for medicinal and recreational purposes.
What is the difference between hash and marijuana? Marijuana applies to dried pieces of the plant, which is the flower buds. Meanwhile, hash is a paste that comes from the resin or sap of the cannabis plant. It also has a higher concentration of psychoactive compounds.
You will learn more information about marijuana and hash in comparison in this article.
You will also find some commonalities between the two and discover what makes each one different from the other.
The Difference Between Marijuana and Hashish
The Drug Enforcement Administration, or DEA, warns that hashish is the most potent and concentrated form of cannabis. It contains a very high amount of THC, even higher than marijuana.
However, in some recent studies, marijuana has been catching up in terms of THC levels.
Still, because marijuana contains plant material, it is considered to be less potent than the extracted resin of hashish.
Though THC levels vary, marijuana has a general potency of 10 to 20 percent of THC, while hashish can range from 20 percent to 60 percent.
As a result, it will take much less hashish compared to marijuana to activate all the psychoactive effects.
For someone who is accustomed to a lower dose of THC, one hit can go a long way. It can even be dangerous to assume that the results will be the same.
Higher potency can lead to a lot of negative effects in terms of usage, and it can raise the risk of an adverse reaction to the drug.
This is why NIDA warns that a higher level of THC can raise the odds of addiction.
It can also mean that there is a greater risk of possible psychotic reaction because, with heavy use, some people can experience severe hallucinations, paranoia, and schizophrenia symptoms.
The Definition of Marijuana
Marijuana, most commonly known as weed, refers to dried cannabis. It is made up of cannabis flowers that have been dried and cured.
Marijuana is ready to be smoked, vaporized, or even turned into an oil butter or some form of concentrate.
There are plenty of cannabis strains in the world, and they are broken down into three categories: Sativa, Indica, and some hybrids.
Indica offers you a relaxed feeling while Sativas are used mainly to increase your energy and productivity. Hybrids are a combination of Sativa and Indica.
The Origin of Marijuana
Marijuana, by definition, comes from the dried leaves, flowers, seeds, and sometimes stems from a cannabis plant.
It has different names, including pot, weed, Mary Jane, reefer, bud, ganja, and skunk. Marijuana is known to be greenish or slightly gray, and it is commonly smoked in joints, in blunts, or using a bong.
It can also be infused into some of your food or drinks. In this case, it is called edibles.
There are more than 500 chemicals in marijuana alone, and more than 100 cannabinoids.
A lot of farmers and connoisseurs of marijuana are breeding plants to come up with new strains of the drug that are reported to have different side effects. The taste varies, too.
The Definition of Hashish and How It Is Made
Hashish is made from a kief of the flowering top of mature and unpollinated female cannabis plants.
These resin glands are called trichomes, sometimes known as crystals. Hash is typically harvested by collecting all powdery resin, either manually or using a mechanical machine that continuously beats the plant.
Another way to do this is by submerging the cannabis plant in icy water and using small sieves to remove the trichomes, after that, it will be dried out.
The remaining kief is typically pressed into cakes or blocks and then smoked in pipes, vaporized, and inhaled.
Hash can be soft and pliable, or it can be brittle and stiff. It may be red, black, green, yellow, blonde, or brown.
Hash, just like marijuana, can also be used in some cooking, and it is perfect for things like oils, butter, and cream. In addition, it can be added to foods like brownies.
There are other forms of hashish in which the resin extracted is made into hash oil. Hash oil is a gooey substance that most people dab and smoke with their e-cigarettes.
Effects of Marijuana and Hash on Your Body
Marijuana and hashish have similar effects on your mind and body because they both contain THC.
On a normal occasion, cannabis produces a mellowing high that can cause the body to relax and feel euphoric. It can impair motor control and twist sensory and time perceptions. It can also produce a lack of motivation, increased appetite, and some memory lapses.
The younger generation will experience lung and breathing issues, irregular heart rate, cognitive decline, and some disruption in brain development.
There are possible long-term effects of cannabis use. Over time, with regular use, dependence on hashish or marijuana will occur.
There will be some withdrawal symptoms like depression, anxiety, irritability, restlessness, cravings, sleep difficulties, cognitive issues, decreased appetite, and mood disturbances.
This will all occur when the drug processes out of your body. It can also be addictive; as many as one-third of those who use it suffer from addiction.
The Production of Marijuana vs. Hash
Marijuana flower production is quite easy and simple. It’s considered to be an uneventful process.
It consists simply of growing female cannabis plants, then proceeding with the harvest of the buds or flowers after the flowering stage.
A typical flowering stage is between 7 to 11 weeks. Once you can harvest the buds, you will hang or set out the flowers to dry, then start curing the buds. After that, you will trim and package the flowers.
On the other hand, the process of producing hashish or hash can be quite complicated and requires a few extra steps.
The first step is that the female cannabis plant must be cultivated and harvested once the flowering period ends. This is roughly around 7 to 11 weeks.
The tricky part is that all those fine hairs of the buds, known as trichomes, must be separated from the rest of the flower.
This is because these fine hairs, which are coated in resin, are high in THC and need to be collected.
You can do this by filtering the plant using a sieve. It can be quite tricky, but it can be done.
The next step is to crush the unfiltered resin using a mechanical machine or by hand. This process will help release the oils, which gives a greenish-brown-black to its silky texture.
This final step is actually optional, but the process will mold the crushed and filtered resin into either a block or another shape you desire.
This will help you in the process of cutting and distributing your end-products.
In addition to the production of hashish, other forms of hash are commonly available in the market.
This includes Bubble Hash, some Lebanese Hash, India Charas Hash, and Royal Afghani Hash, to name a few.
Each of these types is slightly different when it comes to their production, and it can take some time to learn and master the process.
Comparison of the Concentrations
When it comes to concentrations, hashish is a lot more potent than classic smokable marijuana buds.
Marijuana can range anywhere from 2% to 35% of THC content, but some strains are CBD heavy and can go lower than 2%.
On the other hand, hash can range anywhere from 20% to 80% of THC. It is said that it can even be 3 times stronger than the classic buds of the marijuana plant.
For this reason alone, just a little bit of hash can go a long way. In addition, it is very expensive to purchase because it requires a larger quantity of cannabis to produce.
Also, it requires a lot of effort and time to cultivate it and get the end-product.
The Legality of Marijuana and Hash
Hashish in the United States is typically less-consumed by many people, and it is not as popular as traditional marijuana flowers.
Its legal status in the United States is the same as that of marijuana. It is illegal at a federal level, but on a state level, the restrictions are more personalized.
As of 2018, marijuana was legal for recreational consumption in nine states plus the District of Columbia.
These nine states are California, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, Maine, Colorado, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Canada. Meanwhile, 29 states, including the District of Columbia, Guam, and Puerto Rico, recognize cannabis as legal for medical use.
This means that if you have a doctor’s certification, you can use this product.
Hopefully, in the coming years, more states and territories globally will be able to continue and accept marijuana as a legal entity.
Rise in Popularity
Using hashish and marijuana is becoming extremely popular among both adolescents and adults.
According to reports, approximately 14 percent of people in the United States have utilized a form of cannabis within the last month. This means that there is an increased social and cultural acceptance of the drug.
It creates a more laid-back approach and attitude toward the serious effects, whether short term or long term.
However, the magnitude of the effects should not be ignored and should always be taken seriously.
Plenty of information and resources are available regarding the serious manner in which THC affects the brain.
If you know someone who is struggling with drug abuse or has ever fallen into addictive behavior, help is available.
Which One Is Better?
Determining which one is better might be a tricky matter because the options are entirely different.
For this matter, it is a matter of personal preference as to whether hash or marijuana is suited to your personal needs, desires, and wants.
However, you might need to consider that marijuana is less expensive, not as messy, and easier to produce than hashish.
The only downside is that it will not provide you with a strong high. If you are looking for that, then hashish is the right pick for you.
It will last longer and has a greater potency. The only drawbacks are that it is very expensive, more challenging to get, and demanding to produce.
It is very messy to handle because of its sticky consistency; it will get in your hands and can get stuck in your pipe.
Depending on how you weigh the advantages and disadvantages of these two, both can be beneficial and convenient for many reasons. Some people even prefer a healthy mix of the two.
They often smoke a blend of marijuana flowers with some hash added to it. At the same time, other people prefer to not smoke and consume only edibles, tinctures, and other products.
Conclusion
If you ever wondered about the similarities and differences between hash and marijuana, you are not alone. Still, you can find a lot of people who do not know the difference between the two.
In terms of picking the right one, you should ask yourself what your needs are. Your preference—i.e., whether you like it light or hard—will still be the main determining factor.
Just be mindful of the side effects. As always, everything is good in moderation. Just know your limit.