Hash (short for hashish) is a cannabis concentrate made by collecting the plant's resin glands, called trichomes, and pressing them into a solid. It is one of the oldest ways cannabis has been prepared, and today it is made with fine screens, ice water, heat and pressure. This guide explains the main types of hash, how hash compares with kief and rosin, what New York law allows, and where to find it at Lenox Hill Cannabis Co. on East 73rd Street.
Quick Facts
- What it is Pressed trichomes, the sticky resin glands on cannabis flowers
- How it's made Screens (dry sift), ice water (bubble hash), or heat and pressure (hash rosin)
- Solvents Traditional hash and hash rosin are solventless
- In New York Counts as concentrated cannabis: adults 21+ may carry up to 24 grams
- At Lenox Hill On the concentrates menu, plus hash-infused pre-rolls and hash rosin edibles
How Hash Is Made
Trichomes are the tiny, sticky glands that cover cannabis flowers. Hash makers separate those glands from the rest of the plant, then press or cure them. Most hash falls into four styles:
| Style | How it's made | What it looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Dry sift | Dried flower is shaken or tumbled over fine screens, and the trichome heads fall through. | A sandy powder (kief) until it is pressed |
| Ice water (bubble) hash | Flower is stirred in ice water, which makes the resin glands brittle so they snap off. Mesh bags filter them out by size, and the hash is dried. | Granular to paste-like, often graded by micron size |
| Pressed hash and temple balls | Sift or water hash is pressed or rolled by hand, and often cured over time. | Firm blocks or balls with a glossy outside |
| Hash rosin | Ice water hash is pressed between heated plates, which squeezes out an oil with no solvents. | Glossy and sticky, often whipped into a badder |
Researchers describe ice water separation as a way to collect cannabis resin without chemical solvents, using only cold water and agitation (study).
Hash vs Kief vs Rosin
- Kief is loose trichomes, the fine powder that collects at the bottom of a grinder or screen. Hash is kief, or water-separated resin, that has been pressed or processed into a solid.
- Rosin is an oil pressed out with heat and pressure. Flower rosin is pressed straight from flower; hash rosin is pressed from ice water hash. Live rosin is hash rosin made from fresh-frozen plants: see live rosin vs live resin.
- Solvent-based concentrates such as wax, shatter and live resin use a solvent like butane, which is purged afterward. Hash and rosin skip the solvent entirely.
How People Use Hash
Traditionally, hash is crumbled over flower in a joint or bowl, or rolled into infused pre-rolls. Hash rosin also shows up in vapes and in edibles such as gummies. Hash is a concentrate, so it usually carries a higher THC percentage than flower. Every licensed product in New York lists its total THC on the label, which is the number to check before you buy. Not sure where to start? Ask a budtender in the store.