Concentrating on Concentrates!

Happy July! This month we celebrate America’s Independence day, the beginning of summertime and 710 also known as International Dab Day!

Seven Ten, celebrated on July 10th, is a time in which Cannabis concentrates and dabbing culture are honored and recognized amongst the Cannabis community. No one knows exactly who invented 710, but some sources attribute the creation of 710 Day to the word OIL written upside down. Regardless of its modern origins, concentrates have been used and celebrated for its medicinal properties since the ancient times.

There are many different Cannabis extraction techniques that can result in concentrates exhibiting a range of potencies, textures, and consistencies. One of the first forms of cannabis concentrate is known as Hashish. By about 900 AD, hashish use had spread through Arabia, where the word hashish originated. It is said that the word hashish and assasin came from the word Hashashin, a cult of Iranian Shi'a Islamic Muslim assasins which existed during the crusades. Founded by Hassan Sabah at the fortress of Alamut in 1090 A.D. They were known for Assassinating leaders of the knights' templar, often under the influence of hashish.

The Cannabis community continues to increase awareness and produce an abundance of different cannabis oils, extracts and concentrate products derived from cannabis flower, but each type of cannabis oil is unique.These products may vary in purity or chemical composition (i.e., THC, CBD, terpenes), which generally comes down to how the concentrate is extracted and refined as well as the source material from which the extract is derived.

We interviewed Eli Coggins from ET farms an award winning solvent-less extractor and one of the first one hundred people in the country to make solvent-less hash. He gives us a glimpse of the concentrate world.

Why concentrate instead of flower?

That's a great question ... I think coming from the world of late 90s early 2000s cannabis, access to "concentrate" was extremely limited to us here in the states. You had very few people risking turning flower into hash under the federal guidelines that at the time was looked at like having heroine, with punishments as extreme. For me, my history with concentrate starts about 2007 when we would travel from San Jose to the triangle to find what we called bubble. The quote back then was " if I doesn't bubble it's not worth the trouble". Now knowing... that meant the quality of "bubble hash" now known as IWE ( ice water extract ) was high enough to melt and not just burn on top of your bowl. I think these days the difference between flower and concentrate has not only been divided but also linked together. Concentrate allows you to see the art of separating all the cannabinoids and terpenes in their raw form. Allowing you to taste and feel the purest expression of each varietal beyond flower. As with wine making the art of concetrate connects the consumers with the hashashin beyond what normal cultivation shows.

What is the healthiest form of concentrate?

Without a doubt or question solventless hash is the purest and safest form of concentrate out there. In solventless extractions we only use the 4 elements of nature to express our art form . Ice, water, heat, and pressure .There are no volatile chemicals or adulterants needed in our process. Ice water releases the cannabinoids and terpenes while heat and pressure allows us to configure the concentrate in many different forms and textures.

How is hash rosin made?

Hash rosin is made in 3 different stages

Stage 1 wash day. Composing your first day requires starting with material of the highest caliber flower available. Most of us in the hashashin circle prefer to start with WPFF or FFWP . Whole Plant Fresh Frozen or Fresh Frozen Whole Plant. Either term refers to flower that has been fully grown to ripeness then (instead of hang drying) goes directly into a freezer. After 72hrs+ in the freezer the material is placed in a wash vessel in a bath of 60-70% water 30-40% ice. Once the frozen material has soaked in its ice bath the material is now gently agitated to knock the trichomes loose from the flower and be suspended in the ice water. After agitated the water is then sifted through a series of nylon mesh screens rated in micron or μ. Without giving away too much, there is a sweet spot with each varietal usually ranging between 159-45μ. Once collected what we call mud ( pure trichome heads ) that mud gets transferred into a pharmaceutical freeze dryer to further freeze then dry the mud into sand. The sand is what is known as IWE ice water extract or old school terms melt or bubble .

Stage 2 is the press day. Using a pneumatic press ( I prefer the sasquash rosin press) we apply heat and upwards of 7500 lbs of pressure to melt the sand into what we know as hash rosin.

Stage 3 the curing Day 3 -14 is all about the cure, whether you cold cure, fresh press, turn the rosin into mechanically separated THCA, and mechanically separated terpene fraction, the limits to this phase is as far as the hashashin can take it .

How did the industry evolve after hash?

I feel that in an ever evolving cannabis world, concentrate has came further than any other variety of cannabis cultivation. What was once only found in Morrocco and Pakistan used as currency and considered an absolute delicacy and illegal form of cannabis. Concentrates have now become the forefront of cannabis consumption, not only for its higher potency, but, for the amount of terpene and essential oil effects supplied to the "dab" or vapor hit to the user.

In your opinion, What is the best way to enjoy 710?

Grab your favorite extract, a clean rig and a bunch of your favorite people and rejoice that the world is finally seeing cannabis as a medicine and is allowing us to use mother ganja on 7:10, 4:20 and every other day to heal the nation !