The cannabis industry has already managed to come a long way from its illicit days and continues along the right path by leaps and bounds. It’s easy to forget how recent those days were. However, it’s only natural that some areas and niches of the cannabis market will be slower to move forward than others, at least in the eyes of the public that may still linger on past stigma.
One such niche is hash, short for hashish, which to some less knowledgeable consumers sounds like some kind of exotic opiate you submit to in a clandestine establishment in Morocco. Another one is pre-rolls, as in pre-rolled joints, which require a certain level of consumer trust since you cannot see their contents upon purchase.
CALIHASH aims to kill, or rather revive, two birds with one stone with its new line of ice water hash-infused pre-rolls. Being a premium, California-based hash brand that specializes in ice water solventless extraction – a method synonymous with purity and safety from its manual nature and lack of chemicals and concomitant residues – the company believes its infused (hash + flower) pre-rolls have all the makings to help consumers see hash and pre-rolls in a new light.
For one, ice-water hash extraction is basically summed up by its very title. Extractors put the dried flower material in special bags with mesh nets, which serve like sequentially sized sieves. These bags are placed in a container, filled with water and lots of ice. The container is then stirred, generating friction that causes trichomes to fall off the flower and through the sieves, creating finer and finer trichome kief. And that’s pretty much it, those trichomes, squashed together, that’s all hash is – cannabis, devoid of plant matter and other unnecessary components. And it’s precisely because of this lack of unnecessary components that some consumers consider hash to provide a purer experience.
“We address the more poignant negativity by explaining our process, clean water and ice = clean hash. Mostly people just don’t know and once we explain our basic process and tenants as a company, they are immediately converted to fans,” Michael Domecq, CALIHASH’s CEO, explains.
Ice-water hash extraction is not only considered to be very sparing and gentle to the cannabinoid and terpene profiles of the source material, but its simplicity and what-you-see-is-what-you-get nature makes for a nice alternative in a technology- and solvent-dominated cannabis extraction landscape, especially for people who prefer an old-school and hands-on approach.
“Our process is pretty unique to the industry incorporating some more traditional hashish making methods with modern technology. What makes it unique is the fact that we don’t use high pressure or solvents in our extraction process. These two factors really impact the chemical composition,” Domecq explains.
Hash by default entails allowing the source material enough time to dry and cure, time during which oxidization can occur, and with it, cannabinoids may convert into analogues with slightly different and generally more sedative effects.
“By extracting using cold water and ensuring a traditional curing process, the oxidization of certain cannabinoids produce analogous cannabinoids that are only found in aged material – CBN [cannabinol]. Hash is hash because it sits for a long time,” Domecq explains. “THC [delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol] turns into CBN which only happens over time. CBN is a great remedy for anxiety and also helps with pain management, sleep deprivation, multiple sclerosis…”
CALIHASH has performed tests for 3 months, 6 months and 1 year, and their findings point to consistent conversion of THC o CBN at a rate of 2, 4 and 8%, respectively. The process of cannabinoid conversion adds an element of excitement, making hash’s chemical make-up somewhat of a scale, and where a particular product falls on it depends on the amount of time it has been sitting for. And to make it all even more exciting, CALIHASH’s pre-rolls are all-around hybrids, blending different cultivars and hash and cannabis.
“The benefit of mixing cannabis and hash together is clearly for a stronger, more reinforced chemical profile and therefore effect. Nuances occur in tailoring those combined profiles for a targeted result. It allows us to control the medicinal properties and look for that custom experience that each individual requires,” Domecq says.
With the cannabis experience fluctuating drastically due to people’s unique physiologies, this calculated, strategic approach to doubling down on the fire power of cannabinoid and terpene profiles increases the chances of hitting individuals’ special needs.
CALIHASH’s line of ice water hash-infused pre-rolls consists of:
- The CALIHASH Hybrid Pre-roll: The CALIHASH Hybrid blend consists of MAC flower infused with CALIHASH Sunset Sherbet hash (33% total cannabinoids)
- The CALIHASH Sativa Pre-roll: The CALIHASH Sativa pre-roll consists of Lemon Breath flower infused with CALIHASH Lambs Bread hash (35% total cannabinoids)
- The CALIHASH Indica Pre-roll: The CALIHASH Indica consists of OG flower infused with CALIHASH Afghani (35% total cannabinoids)
These products are made with locally sourced and indoor-grown cannabis flowers, which counts for something when that locality is California.
“California is the mecca of the cannabis industry and we think we produce the best product in the world. In addition to this, the more local we can source, the lower our production costs are,” Domecq says.
There’s another deterrent to using hash of strictly practical nature – rolling it. Hash must be heated until it becomes as soft as clay so it can be shaped into thin threads to roll in a joint. Many users may just revert to using glassware, which isn’t always convenient.
“Many consumers aren’t sure exactly what to do with hash so we thought pre-rolls would be a lower barrier to entry and offer a more convenient solution to our audiences,” Domecq explains.
With all those factors stacked firmly on its side – the reputation of California-sourced cannabis; the trustworthiness that ice-water extraction inspires and the pure products it produces (as per the certificate of analysis); the allure of mixing hash and flower of different cultivars; and the inherent ease of pre-rolls – CALIHASH hopes to help the pre-roll market open a new chapter in which the brand plays the central character.
“Traditionally, the pre-roll market is the place you sell the flower product that doesn’t ‘look’ good or wasn’t used,” Domecq concludes. “That impression is slowly changing as consumers are becoming more educated on the products they purchase. Additionally, being able to offer packaged and branded pre-rolls is also a great way to help build brand awareness, especially when you’re still a smaller player in the industry and starting to gain momentum.”
