How To Smoke Hash

Beloved for its aromatic taste and potency, people have enjoyed hash (hashish) since ancient times. From delicious bubble hash to handmade finger hash from Afghanistan and charas from India, this guide will cover all the different ways you can smoke (and vape) hash. In no time at all, you’ll be a hash-smoking pro!

What is hash exactly?

Hash is a type of cannabis concentrate made from the pressed cannabis crystals (kief) or resin glands of female cannabis plants. The traditional way to make hash is by hand—that is, by rubbing or shaking cannabis plants to mechanically collect as much resin as possible.

Modern methods commonly utilise ice water and solvents such as ethanol to separate the crystals from the buds, collecting the resin using various sizes of mesh filters. The resin is then pressed to make bubble hash. Hash can be yellow, greenish, red, brown or black in colour, and it can be soft and pliable or hard and brittle.

Cannabis aficionados like hash because it contains much more THC than weed, which makes for a potent high that lasts quite some time. They also like it for its aromatic, incense-like flavour and smooth smoke. Compared to bags of weed, a small piece of good hash is more practical to carry with you and may also be easier to store. However, these are just two comparisons between hash and weed; there are many other discernible differences between the two that really set them apart from one another.

Hash can be consumed in many ways and can even be infused into edibles. But, of course, the most popular ways to enjoy it are by inhalation, through smoking, vaping and dabbing. Be aware that you need much less hash than the bud you usually consume. If it's your first time, be sure to start with a small amount and see how you like it.

Preparing your hash for smoking

The great thing about smoking hash is that it's not all that difficult to prepare. In fact, you can pretty much smoke it as it comes. Like you would with regular weed, you'll want to crumble the hash to increase the surface area, which will improve the potency of your smoke. If your hash is a little hard, simply warm it by running a flame over it for a few seconds; it will crumble easier. Or just hold it in your hands for a little while and knead it with your fingers.

Depending on your preference, you can smoke the hash pure, mix it with tobacco, or even some additional bud. Tobacco will add a more stimulating effect, while bud makes for a unique terpene experience. If you have a soft hash that doesn't crumble, you can roll it into a long snake-like shape to add to the middle of a joint.

The best ways to smoke hash

There is no single “best” way to smoke hash; the list below is meant to inform and empower you to make your own decision. But, of course, feel free to experiment!

Smoke hash in a spliff or joint

This one is easy. Take a piece of hash and warm it with a lighter to make it easier to crumble. Add some tobacco to make a spliff, or throw in some bud for a super-potent and pure joint. Instead of weed or tobacco, you can also mix your hash with other herbs. How about damiana, peppermint or even passionflower to amp up your experience?

Passionflower (80 grams)

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Smoke hash in a pipe or bong

Smoking your hash from a pipe or bong isn't just easier than rolling a joint (an art some struggle to master), but it also involves fewer potentially harmful substances like burning paper and tobacco—but don’t be fooled into thinking bongs aren’t still bad for your lungs!

Just like before, prime your hash a little by warming it up. With a pipe or bong, you'll definitely want to use a screen if one isn't already built into your device. Put some hash into the bowl, and light the hash with a regular lighter (no torch). As soon as you see a small flame, blow it out (much like burning incense). Keep blowing to get the hash to burn steadily (if necessary). Once your hash burns continuously like a tiny piece of coal, you can inhale.

Although there's no need, you can also layer your hash with weed or tobacco. Start by putting a layer of weed on the bottom of the bowl so no hash falls through. Now, sprinkle a layer of hash on the weed, and top it off with some more bud.

Smoke hash in a hookah

Although their original use dates back well into the 16th century, the humble hookah is still very much in demand to this day, especially when it comes to hash! They're also perfect for group smoking sessions. To smoke hash from a hookah, start by rolling it into a small ball and placing it on top of the hookah. Fill the hookah three-quarters full of water, heat the charcoal, and once it's red hot, place it on the hash. You can now smoke the hash through the tips on the hoses.

Dabbing hash

Dabbing your hash is a bit more involved as you need a dab rig and a good torch lighter. A dab rig is a vaping device that looks like a fancy bong, but instead of a bowl, it has a dab nail. Point your torch flame at the nail until it becomes red hot. Now, put the glass dome over the glowing nail (if applicable). Use the dabber tool to apply some hash directly on the nail inside the dome. You can now inhale and enjoy your hash. Be aware that dabbing is very potent, so it can knock you out, especially if you're new to the dabbing game.

Smoking hash using knives

Hot-knifing hash is a very old-school method, and we really don’t recommend it unless you have no other way to enjoy it. The reason for this is that burning your fingers isn’t fun, especially not if you’re just trying to get high. But for the sake of completeness, we want to mention this classic hash-smoking method.

You’ll need two butter knives, a straw, oven mitts, and a source of heat. The best is a torch lighter, but a stovetop works too. Heat up the two knives until they are red hot. Take a piece of your hash, place it between the two hot knives, and press the knives together. Your hash will instantly start to burn and smoke. Inhale the smoke with the straw, but be sure to put the straw in your mouth before you start, as your hands will be busy throughout the process! Be careful that the straw doesn’t melt or burn as well. And keep those hot knives away from your fingers. And the rest of your house!

The pin and glass method

This is another very old-school method that still works fine. Great if you don’t have a pipe, bong, or rolling papers! What you’re doing is capturing the smoke in a glass and then inhaling it from the glass with a straw.

Take a small piece of cardboard or cork and stick a pin upright into it. Then place a small amount of hash on top of the pin. Take your lighter and light the hash until you see a flame. Remove the lighter and blow out the flame. Put the glass upside down over the hash. Once in place, the glass will begin to fill with smoke. Take the straw, lift up the glass just a tiny bit on the underside, stick in the straw and inhale the smoke.

Smoking hash with nothing but a lighter

This method is really only for desperate periods, but it does work.

As mentioned earlier, you can burn hash like incense, by setting it on fire and then blowing it out and letting it burn slowly. This works well in a bong, but it also works on a plate or other inflammable surface. If all you have is hash and a lighter, then break the hash into medium sized chunks (too small and it will burn too quickly), light it, blow it out and let it burn. Once it’s burning like a coal, you can just breathe in the smoke that comes pouring off it.

This actually works better than you might think, but doesn’t look so stylish!

Lighter Clipper Trippy

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Vaping your hash

You can also vape hash but know that the experience is not as straightforward. Most modern vaporizers are designed to work with buds and/or waxy concentrates. Hash has a consistency somewhere in between, and thus, it doesn’t always vaporize consistently. Also, because the hash is compact and sticky, it can make quite a mess in your vaporizer. For that reason, we don’t recommend vaping hash as a first choice. However, to guide you in the right direction, you can read our article on the best vaporizers for hash.

Like the smoking methods mentioned above, vaping hash requires crumbling the product to increase surface area and make for even vaporization. Furthermore, you will want to use a temperature setting of about 200°C. Vaping hash can be done, but you need to go about it the right way!

Which is the best way to enjoy hash?

As mentioned, there is no single “best” way to enjoy smoking hash. Of course, some means are a little more potent or trickier to pull off than others. So it really comes down to personal preference as well as experience. Essentially, each method leads to the same outcome: enjoying high-quality hash that's massively flavourful, aromatic and brimming with effects.

So if you're already keen on rolling joints, the option of switching out bud for some hash isn't going to be a tricky task to carry out. The same can be said for those well-versed in using bongs and pipes. However, don't let that stop you from unleashing your inner inventor if you want to try some of the more ambitious methods of harnessing hash. But, especially for newcomers, be aware that hash has a tendency to hit a little harder than standard weed due to its high concentration. So start off slow, and you can't go wrong!

Time to get your hands on some hash

By this point, you can probably tell that there's plenty of fun to be had with hash, and with a range of different consumption methods, it's one versatile way to enjoy cannabis concentrates. So if you've been looking for a way to mix up your smoking routine, this could very well be the answer.

While Zamnesia doesn't stock ready-made hash for you to purchase, we do stock everything you need to make your own from home. From cannabis seeds to extractors and even pipes and dabbing rigs more than suitable for the job, there's simply been no better time to check out what hash can do for you. Head over to the Zamnesia store and get your hands on everything you need to create high-quality hash from the comfort of your home.

Adam Parsons

Professional cannabis journalist, copywriter, and author Adam Parsons is a long-time staff member of Zamnesia. Tasked with covering a wide range of topics from CBD to psychedelics and everything in between, Adam creates blog posts, guides, and explores an ever-growing range of products.

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