How CBD hash is made: from trichome to pressing, with full transparency

01Hash, pollen, resin: what are we talking about?

These words all describe the same raw material, cannabis resin, at different stages of processing.

• Kief or trichome powder: resin collected as a powder, without being pressed. It is also called dry sift when it is obtained by dry sieving.
• Pollen: in the CBD trade, this term refers to sieved resin powder that is lightly pressed, often blond and crumbly. The word is actually a misnomer. True pollen comes from male plants, whereas resin is produced by the trichomes of female flowers, which are what growers are after (Tanney et al., 2021).
• Hash, hashish or resin: the same powder, compacted by pressure, heat or hand working until it forms a uniform block.
• Charas: resin collected by hand directly from living plants, following a tradition from India and Nepal.

CBD hash, CBD resin and CBD pollen are therefore very close cousins. What sets them apart is the extraction method, how finely the resin is sorted and how it is pressed.

02It all starts with trichomes

The female flowers of cannabis are covered in tiny mushroom-shaped glands, concentrated mainly on the calyxes and bracts: glandular trichomes. It is in the head of these glands that the plant makes and stores its cannabinoids and its terpenes, which give each variety its smell and taste (Tanney et al., 2021).

In the plant, these cannabinoids exist mostly in their acid form: CBDA rather than CBD, THCA rather than THC. Heat gradually converts them into their so-called neutral form, a reaction called decarboxylation (Wang et al., 2016).

Making hash therefore always comes down to three things: detaching the trichome heads, separating them from leaf and stem debris, then gathering them into a cohesive mass. The finer the sorting, the purer and more concentrated the resin.

03Traditional methods of making hashish

Two main families of methods have existed for centuries: hand rubbing and sieving. According to the Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum in Amsterdam, the strength, smell and other properties of a hash depend first on the plant's genetics (Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum).

Charas, rubbed by hand

Charas is made by rubbing the hands over the flowers of living female plants. The resin builds up on the palms, then it is scraped off and rolled by hand into a uniform ball. The result is usually dark brown to black, slightly sticky and soft at room temperature. It is a slow method, still practised in northern India and Nepal.

Sieving, in Morocco, Lebanon and elsewhere

Most hash is made by sieving. Dried plants are rubbed or shaken over a very fine mesh or a cloth: the trichomes pass through, the plant debris stays on top. The collected powder is then worked with heat and pressure. These sieved hashes are often harder and denser than hand-rubbed hash, and their appearance ranges from light brown and dry to black and sticky.

In the Rif mountains of Morocco, plants are traditionally dried in the sun for long periods before being sieved (Russo et al., 2021). The first siftings give the purest resin. Later ones, carrying more debris, give a greener, less concentrated resin.

Heat-kneaded resins: temple ball and black

Other traditions focus on working the resin. Nepalese temple balls are hand-rolled balls with a smooth, shiny surface. Black-style resins, associated in particular with Afghanistan, are kneaded at length with heat. This work bursts the trichome heads: their oils are released, and the resin darkens and becomes oily and malleable.

04Modern methods: Pollinator, Ice-o-lator and dry ice

In the 1990s, two Dutch inventions transformed hash making. Their inventor, Mila Jansen, described them in a 2002 publication (Jansen and Terris, 2002).

The Pollinator, or mechanical sieving

Introduced in 1994, the Pollinator is a rotating drum lined with a fine mesh, in which dry, cold flowers are tumbled. The trichomes come loose and fall through the mesh. It is a mechanised form of dry sieving that gives a fine, even pollen.

The Ice-o-lator, or ice water extraction

Developed in 1998, the Ice-o-lator uses water and ice. The flowers are stirred in ice water: the cold makes the trichomes brittle, they break off and are collected through a series of filter bags with ever finer mesh. It is also called bubble hash or water hash. The method uses no solvent and produces some of the purest resins.

Dry ice

More recently, some producers use dry ice to freeze the flowers before sieving them. This is the method used in the study cited above, which strongly concentrated cannabinoids and terpenes while preserving the aromatic profile of the fresh flower (Russo et al., 2021).

05Pressing, cold or hot

Once the trichome powder has been collected, it has to be compacted. Pressing adds nothing: it is the same resin, more or less packed and worked. But it greatly changes the texture, colour and taste.

• Cold pressing: the resin is compressed without heat. The trichome heads remain largely intact, the aromas are well preserved, and the pollen keeps a drier, more crumbly texture and a light colour.
• Hot pressing: heat softens the resin and bursts some of the trichome heads. The hash becomes more uniform, more pliable and darker. Heat can also evaporate some of the most volatile terpenes and convert part of the CBDA into CBD. This reaction is gradual: it depends on temperature and time, and CBDA converts about half as fast as THCA (Wang et al., 2016).

Taken further, heat and pressure squeeze a thick oil out of the resin: this is the principle of rosin, a solventless extraction much appreciated by concentrate enthusiasts.

06Why CBD hash is less oily than THC hash

Cannabis varieties rich in THC have been selected for decades to produce as much resin as possible. Varieties rich in CBD and low in THC are much more recent, and their breeding has to meet a strict constraint: staying below the legal THC limit.

In our experience since 2017, and our producers see the same thing: most CBD varieties produce less resin, and a less oily resin, than THC varieties. This is a field observation, not the result of a comparative study.

The consequence is concrete. With CBD pollen that is simply sieved and pressed, you can easily get a blond pollen, a Moroccan-style hash or a compact resin. Getting the supple, oily, almost melting texture of a charas or a black, on the other hand, is very difficult with the plant's resin alone.

07What our producers sometimes add, and why

This is the point on which we want to be perfectly clear. To obtain very oily resins, such as charas or black, our producers add a CBD extract to the pollen. These extracts come from hemp, just like the pollen itself. Depending on the resin, this may be:

• Crude: the raw hemp extract, usually obtained by CO2 or ethanol extraction. It is a thick paste containing CBD, other cannabinoids, waxes and terpenes. It adds oiliness and binding.
• Isolate: purified CBD, as a white crystalline powder. It raises the CBD content without adding taste or texture. It is sometimes used, in small amounts.
• Crumble: a CBD concentrate with a crumbly texture, obtained after extraction and purification.
• Honey: a CBD concentrate with the consistency of honey, which makes the resin more supple.

The extract is mixed with the pollen, then the whole is worked and pressed. The result is a resin that is oilier, more supple and usually richer in CBD.

Not all the resins we offer are enriched. Some of our pollens receive no additions at all: they are simply pressed, cold or hot. Our producers also blend several pollens, from more or less resinous varieties, to balance taste, texture and potency.

Finally, some products are enriched with a minor cannabinoid, such as CBN. In that case, the addition is stated in the product name itself, along with its content.

We do not consider enrichment to be deceptive, on one condition: saying so. If you want to know whether a specific resin is pressed pure or enriched, and with what, just ask us: we will tell you.

08What our resins never contain

Apart from the hemp extracts described above, the resins we select contain no other additions:

• No synthetic or semi-synthetic cannabinoids, such as HHC, H4-CBD or their derivatives.
• No added flavouring, no colouring and no binder foreign to the plant.

This is no small matter. As early as 2023, the European Union Drugs Agency reported low-THC hemp flowers and resins onto which HHC had been sprayed or mixed, products that look and smell like ordinary cannabis (EUDA, 2023). In France, products containing these synthetic cannabinoids, such as HHC, H4-CBD or H2-CBD, are classified as narcotics, and the health authorities report a rise in poisonings linked to products sold as CBD but containing other substances (Vidal, based on ANSM data).

09The main styles of CBD resin

Resin names often borrow traditional styles. With CBD, they describe an appearance and a texture, not always the original method: a CBD charas, for example, is generally not hand-rubbed from living plants.

These guidelines describe styles. The exact method can vary from one resin to another: we can give you the details for each product.

10How to spot a good CBD hash

• Smell: a well-made, well-stored resin clearly smells of its terpenes, fruity, earthy, spicy or floral depending on the variety. A faint, hay-like or musty smell points to an old or poorly stored resin.
• Texture: it tells you about the production method, not directly about quality. A sandy pollen can be excellent, and a very oily resin may be enriched.
• CBD content: a very high content in a very oily resin suggests enrichment. This is not a flaw, but it is information the seller should be able to give you.
• Lab analysis: ask for an analysis showing at least CBD and total THC. It is the only objective way to check what you are buying.
• Claims about effects: be wary of a CBD hash marketed as giving a high or as strong as the original. CBD alone has no intoxicating effect: such claims may point to an out-of-limit THC content or the presence of a synthetic cannabinoid.

For storage, keep your resin in an airtight box, away from light and heat. It will better retain its aromas and suppleness.

11CBD hash: legal status in Switzerland and France

In Switzerland

Cannabis products with a THC content below 1% are not subject to the narcotics law (FOPH). CBD flowers and resins intended for smoking are sold as tobacco substitutes, under the same sales rules as tobacco (Canton of Vaud).

In France

The decree of 30 December 2021 authorises the use of hemp varieties whose THC content does not exceed 0.3%. On 29 December 2022, the Conseil d'État (France's highest administrative court) struck down the ban on selling the raw flowers and leaves of these varieties, noting that CBD has no psychotropic effect and does not cause dependence (Conseil d'État). Products containing more than 0.3% THC remain classified as narcotics.

Legal does not mean undetectable: the small amount of THC in a CBD resin can cause a positive drug test. We cover this in detail in our article CBD and drug tests.

12Health: what you need to know

CBD does not produce an intoxicating effect. Yet the way it is consumed matters as much as the product. Addiction Switzerland points out that smoking CBD products carries risks of lung and cardiovascular disease, and that mixing them with tobacco also exposes you to nicotine dependence (Addiction Switzerland).

• Avoid tobacco: unlike a flower, pollen or hash is almost never smoked on its own: it burns poorly by itself and has to be mixed with a base to keep it burning. Instead of tobacco, you can use a nicotine-free tobacco substitute, made from plants. This way you avoid nicotine and the dependence it causes. The combustion, however, remains.
• Consider vaporising: vaporising avoids combustion. It is not risk-free, but it eliminates smoke.
• Pregnancy, breastfeeding and minors: CBD products are not recommended in these situations.
• Current treatments: CBD can interact with some medicines. See our guide CBD and medication and talk to your doctor or pharmacist.
• Driving: do not use CBD resin before driving, because of residual THC.

13Frequently asked questions