Smoking hash or hashish has been a regular thing for thousands of years, but not a lot of people have knowledge of what it exactly is. To some it’s just concentrated THC while others think of it as its own form of drug. The harsh reality is that the stigma behind hash—especially today’s Butane Hash Oils (BHO)—is that it’s just far too dangerous to make and consume with the lack of solid research into it.
The issue stems from the fact that there are far too many people that are trying to make their own BHO with no proper knowledge and/or tools, which is causing the explosions and fires we hear about on the news. Media outlets report on these home DIY operations quickly but focus only on the dangers.
The first time I saw anyone consume concentrates was about five years ago, with a forgettable old-school dab rig setup. The rig was just a straight tube bong but with a drop down that had a metal sheet connected at the end like the picture below:
As a regular flower smoker, I knew the effects that hash offered, since at times I would purchase some hash to add to my joints, but with the market increase of BHO in Northern California at the time many people were consuming “wax” or “shatter.” I felt compelled to try it with some of my buddies who all had medical cannabis recommendations after buying a rig from the local head shop. Everyone had talked about the intense high it would offer at the dispensaries, so we all made the effort to get it started.
The use of a torch at first was eerie and most of it us didn’t like the sight of it. Once you get over the use of a torch, the rest is bliss. Grab a small “glob” of the concentrate on your dab utensil tip and place on the nail and inhale—the sudden rush of smoke will fill your lungs and probably get you light-headed right away. The rush and intensity are like no other, plus the amount of flavor from the concentrates will have you searching for your favorite strains in concentrate form.
I was stoned for hours and the feeling was much friendlier than eating edibles—which have no “on and off” switch. I learned how to stop worrying years ago because I found it to be an easier way to consume cannabis without having to eat anything to get that intense high. The fact that I was able to only consume a little of the concentrate and be stoned for longer than normal provided great pain relief without being too sleepy.
Today’s concentrate world is a lot different than it was five years ago; they're much more accepted, especially in legal states. With new methods of producing it as well (see: Rosin Tech) the stigma behind the explosions should decrease. Plus, legal states are finding more innovative ways to extract the THC from the cannabis plant. Hopefully more people will embrace concentrates in the future once people learn to stop worrying about the myths making their rounds.
