The Geopolitics of Afghani Hash

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Those who like mixing tobacco with their import joints might enjoy this short clip; hopefully, gb123 won't fall off the wagon, lol, as I know he once appreciated this herbal blend .

Hash joint rolling Pakistani style:

Watch him do the final touch @ about 2:15

 

[gb123]

yer killin me dude!

I knew guys that could roll joints like that so fast it would make your head spin.. lol

 

[QUAD BREATH]

i've had some real Afghani hash. it wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as what i make for myself.
i know mine is pure, has no kinds of pesticides or fillers in it, is fresh and made in a clean environment...
i don't know any of that about Afghani hash...
and i have no political implications to consider...there are no warring tribes in my grow room...i don't have to bribe anyone when i harvest a plant...as far as i know, the russians don't want to take over my basement...

I make my own hash too. I've got a big clump that's been curing for over a year...it is great medicine but not something I enjoy smoking during the day. I need different strains for different pains.
I agree it is nice knowing exactly what is in your product when you make it yourself.
However, the terpenes that come from different import hashes are not easily, if not impossible, replicated in home-made hash. I understand that most people couldn't give two-shits about import hash but, as a medical patient and connoisseur, having a few different chunks in the medicine cabinet is very comforting and therapeutic. The taste and smell of high grade exotic hash is nothing short of heavenly IMO.

Further, if you grew up in Canada and were of a certain age bracket, import hash was the staple smoke for most Canadians; it's all I saw except for the odd mexican, jamaican brick,etc, and thus, you could say, it is a part of my culture.
I didn't smoke much import after college, as it was more scarce, and never worth trying to acquire as I moved to the bush and started growing my own. I had the odd puff, and small piece, of Afghan when buddies from the city would come visit but that was it.
With the surge of online dispensaries, here in Canada, import is once again easily obtainable for anyone with a computer and post box.

There is always political implications to consider when everything in this world is interconnected. We are all hypocrites to one degree or another....to deny that is delusion; however, I do believe in trying to have a smaller footprint wherever I can.

That is the purpose of the thread, to help bring some awareness of these import hashes whether good or bad. If everyone understood what good import hash is, then that is what more people will start demanding; thus, better quality in the overall market. Do you realize how many online reviews there are on "Mercedes" hash that claim how good it is? It's not even an import let alone good!

Cannabis is going to be traded -legally- internationally at some point (already is in small cases) and to different degrees as everyone jumps on this cash cow. Therefore, I would rather see the Afghan farmers sending Canada #1 grade hash versus #1 grade heroine.

And for those die-hard import hash lovers, or "my home-grown hash is the best crowd", there is a reason why these, import, delicacies have special medical and therapeutic effects; According to science it is called "hashishene":


Hashishene: The New Terpene On The Block

May 31, 2016
By

Sirius J

Those lucky enough to have smoked real Moroccan hash have undoubtedly noticed its subtle, intoxicating aroma that’s different from any buds or hash you can get in the USA. This difference in smell between hash and flowers has remained a mystery to the trans-Atlantic smokers at HIGH TIMES, until now; meet hashishene.

On November 28, 2014 a study popped up in the Journal of Chromatography A titled Multidimensional analysis of cannabis volatile constituents: identification of 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane as a volatile marker of hashish, the resin of Cannabis sativa L. Eighteen months later it seems that the cannabis community has caught wind of a discovery made at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in the South of France. The scientists in Nice worked with French authorities to gain access to samples of cannabis and hashish from seizures in an attempt to develop a device that could detect the presence of contraband without the use of dogs. As they analyzed their samples, they found a mysterious peak the chromatogram, a new terpenoid?

Through various experimental methods to decipher the identity of their new product, they were able to conclude that this mysterious peak was a 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane, a compound that had only ever been detected as a very minor constituent of Spearmint. They found large amounts of this “new” terpene in hash (around 14% of the volatile constituents, or 0.33% of the total mass of a sample of hash) but relatively little in dried cannabis buds.

Up until now, we though all the volatile constituents of cannabis were present in other herbs, making it only the mixture that defines its characteristic smell. For herbal cannabis this is still true, but this newly discovered compound is so unique to hashish their discoverers decided to name it hashishene, but what is hashishene and why don’t fresh or dried cannabis buds have as much or any of it? The answer lies in the hash production process.

Smuggled by the ton from Morocco to Spain and then the rest of Europe, Moroccan hash is the product of choice for much of Southern Europe, and many people prefer its mellow high to that off actual cannabis. Farmers in the Rif Valley of Morocco sow a yearly crop consisting of many different varieties of cannabis, many of which produce copious amounts of CBD, hence the mellow high from the hash it makes. The Sun dries these plants on the rooftops of the same shacks they use to process and package all their material. The unique, landrace strains, the rooftop drying and the hash production process all culminate into a slightly sticky, sweet-smelling substance known in Spain as “pollen” if it’s dirty-blonde and crumbles, or “paki” if it has a play-dough consistency along with a darker color.

The scientists at Nice predicted that beta-myrcene, the most abundant terpene in cannabis, degrades to form hashishene in the presence of light and oxygen. Presumably the rooftop sun-drying exposes beta-myrcene to enough ultraviolet to oxidize beta-myrcene to hashishene in high amounts. Since most growers in the United States abide the rules of carefully curing their cannabis and don’t just throw it on a rooftop to cook in the African sun, hashishene is a relatively rare occurrence on this side of the Atlantic in either fresh buds or extracts of any type.

UV-light stimulated photo-oxidation of beta-myrcene in hashishene.


The authors of the paper suggested that many of the minor terpenoids in cannabis are in fact photo-oxidation products of the main terpenoids of cannabis: beta-myrcene, alpha-pinene, beta-pinene, linalool, terpinolene, caryophyllene and humulene. Beta-myrcene made an average of 16.8% of the aromatics in cannabis flowers, and only 4.3% in the samples of hash. On the other hand, hashishene made up 8.4% in the hash, and only 0.36% in the cannabis.

This insight has incredible implications for those who analyze the terpenoid profiles of cannabis; does this mean that many of the interesting notes in cannabis (esters for fruity smells, for example), occur by random happen-stance? As in the case of hashishene, the photo-oxidation reaction requires a special sensitizer compound, meaning something more complex lies behind the formation of these terpene derivatives, a mystery yet to be resolved. The genetic expression of different sensitizers that catalyze certain transformations, and not others, may underlay the aromatic differences we observe between strains.

As always, the cannabis plant never ceases to surprise and amaze. Whether it’s a new terpene or a new cannabinoid, the science will never stop for one of the most genetically diverse living creatures on earth.

link: https://hightimes.com/strains/hashishene-the-new-terpene-on-the-block/

 

[Jefferson1977]

This insight has incredible implications for those who analyze the terpenoid profiles of cannabis; does this mean that many of the interesting notes in cannabis (esters for fruity smells, for example), occur by random happen-stance? As in the case of hashishene, the photo-oxidation reaction requires a special sensitizer compound, meaning something more complex lies behind the formation of these terpene derivatives, a mystery yet to be resolved. The genetic expression of different sensitizers that catalyze certain transformations, and not others, may underlay the aromatic differences we observe between strains.

As always, the cannabis plant never ceases to surprise and amaze. Whether it’s a new terpene or a new cannabinoid, the science will never stop for one of the most genetically diverse living creatures on earth.

I fully believe that we brought this plant with us when we came to this planet

 

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Hashishene, the new terpene of cannabis
Hashish and terpenes

As we already know, terpenes are responsible for the taste and scent of many of the vegetables that produce them. They are a broad class of organic hydrocarbons derived from isoprene (CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2) which compose the bulk of resins and essential oils of plants, thus providing unique flavours to each individual as a result of terpene combination. They are also called terpenoids when they have undergone an oxidating or molecular re-combination process. As we also know, most cannabis terpenes have properties of great medicinal value.

As the flowering stage progresses, more and more terpenes are secreted inside the trichome heads, so that the terpene profile of the plant changes as it ripens. The same thing happens when drying and curing buds, the process of oxidation and partial decarboxylation to which buds are exposed makes their terpene range to change over time. Some terpenes will degrade faster than others, so the terpene range of the weed – we must remember that we know of more than 100 terpenes in cannabis – will vary unless it is vacuum-sealed and properly stored. This fact explains why the smell and taste of one sample can evolve throughout the drying and curing process.

Different hashish samples

Probably, any concentrate lover has realized that, many times, the extraction process changes the terpene profile of the weed, so the resulting extract lacks some of the organoleptic features of the buds from which it comes. In this way, cannabis extracts have a common taste and smell – with subtle variations – regardless of the strain used to make them. This happens especially when using dried/cured plant material, since as we have already seen in our posts about Fresh Frozen and Fresh Chilled, these type of concentrates have a smell and taste much closer to those of the fresh plant material. Somehow, isolating and concentrating the resing glands leads us to limit the terpene range, so we can’t properly appreciate the “personality” of each sample. But, why does it happen?

Study on the volatile compounds of cannabis sativa
A study conducted by Jean-Jaques Filippi, Marie Marchini, Céline Charvoz, Laurence Dujourdy and Nicolas Baldovini (“Multidimensional analysis of cannabis volatile constituents: Identification of 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane as a volatile marker of hashish, the resin of Cannabis sativa L.“) at the end of 2014 seems to have found the answer to this question. According to these researchers, the typical “hashish flavour” of many resin extracts made from dried and oxidized buds comes from the degradation of a single terpene, which creates an unusual and rare monoterpene (5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane). The five researchers propose in their study a name for this particular monoterpene, Hashishene. While the rearrangement of myrcene and the formation of 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane was already investigated by Robert S. H. Liu and George S. Hammond in 1965 (US 3380903 A), this phenomenon had never been observed before in hashish samples.

Cannabis buds and hashish have different terpene profiles

The volatile constituents of the samples used to conduct the study (fresh buds, dried buds and hashish) were investigated using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and hyphenated gas chromatography techniques (GC-MS, GC×GC-MS), showing clear differences in terpene profile between weed and hashish samples, mainly resulting from photo-oxidation of the plant material during the drying and extraction processes. Thus, the hashish samples analyzed showed considerable amounts of a rare monoterpene among their volatile compounds, which came from a rearrangement of beta-myrcene during the manufacture of hashish. Moreover, the researchers claim that this monoterpene would be almost exclusive from cannabis plants, so they propose to call this new volatile marker “Hashishene”.

Let’s take a closer look now at what is beta-myrcene and how it degrades into Hashishene.

What is beta-myrcene?

Myrcene

Beta-myrcene – also known as myrcene – is a natural hydrocarbon (7-Methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadiene), more precisely one of the most important monoterpenes found in cannabis plants (it is also found in other plants like hops, parsley or bay) and widely used in the production of fragances for its pleasant scent, although it is unstable in air and tends to polymerize. Its name comes from Myrcia sphaerocarpa, a medicinal plant found in Brazil with high amounts of myrcene.

Myrcene is also a precusor to other terpenes, helping to form them, and synergizes their antibiotic properties. It is also believed to play a crucial role in the effects of cannabis. A study conducted in Switzerland in 1997 showed that myrcene was the most common terpene in 16 different cannabis strains, being over 50% the total terpene content of some of them.

Myrcene can change the permeability of cell membranes to allow more cannabinoid absorption by the brain, thus regulating the effects of other cannabinoids (in a similar way than CBD does). It is also believed that myrcene makes THC, CBD and CBG more effective. Myrcene has many therapeutic effects, being used to relax muscles and combat pain. It also has anti-depressant and anti-inflammatory properties, plus antimicrobial, antioxidant, antiseptic, and anti-carcinogen effects. It slows bacterial growth, inhibits cell mutation (a very important factor when fighting cancer), suppresses muscle spasms and is even used to treat psychosis because of its relaxing and calming effect.

Its smell is very complex, earthy, balsamic and spicy, but also reminiscent of grapes, peaches, vanilla, grass, wood and pepper. Both the smell and taste dissipate with high temperatures.

 

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Beta-myrcene:

• Name: 7-Methyl-3-methylene-1,6-octadiene
• Formula: C10H16
• Molecular Weight: 136.23404 g/mol
• Decarboxylation Point: 115-145°C (239°F to 293°F)
• Boiling Point: 168°C (334°F, 442ºK)
• Critical Pressure: 2421.88 kPa
• LD50 (Lethal Dose): >5g/kg

Therapeutic uses of myrcene:

• Analgesic – Pain relief
• Antibacterial – Slows bacterial growth
• Anti-Diabetic – Helps mitigate the effects of diabetes
• Anti-inflammatory – Systemic reduction of inflammations
• Anti-Insomnia – Aids with sleep disorders
• Anti-Proliferative/Anti-Mutagenic – Inhibits cell mutation, including cancer cells
• Antipsychotic – Tranquilizing effects, relieves symptoms of psychosis
• Antispasmodic – Suppresses muscle spasms

Beta-myrcene molecule ball

Hashishene as rearrangement of beta-myrcene
We know that cannabis contains high amounts of monoterpenes and sesquiterpenes. Alpha and beta-pinene, beta-myrcene and limonene are the most commonly found monoterpenes, while the predominant sesquiterpenes are beta-caryophyllene and alpha-humulene. Seven out of ten cannabis samples used in this study contained large amounts of beta-myrcene (19,5-28,7%), but what about the hashish samples?

After a first series of analyses, researchers found out that every hashish sample contained remarkable amounts of an unusual monoterpene – 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane – eluting before alpha-pinene. This finding was quite surprising since this compound had only been isolated once before this study – although it was first identified in Boswellia species – and it was as a constituent of the essential oil of Mentha cardiaca L. Moreover, and on a second series of analyses, “hashishene” was found in almost all hashish samples among the most abundant apolar constituents (1,1-14-9%), while it was detected in samples of dried and fresh herb in very low amounts. A total of 186 constituents were identified in these analyses.

Hashish has high amounts of Hashishene

Before this study, beta-myrcene was already considered as one of the most abundant volatile constituents of cannabis, and has been proposed as specific marker of marijuana. According to the results of this study, the presence of “hashishene” would be directly linked with the high amounts of beta-myrcene detected in fresh cannabis buds. Researchers state that exposure to sunlight would be one of the factors related with the formation of hashishene from beta-myrcene, supporting the photolytic origin of “hashishene”.

All hashish samples showed a wider diversity in oxygenated terpenes than cannabis buds, and many alcohols, aldehydes and ketones could be related to the hydrocarbons found in cannabis. They observed that many oxygenated derivatives actually came from the initial terpenes, more specifically from a photo-oxydation process. In this way, terpene photo-oxidation leads to the formation of allylic hydroperoxides, which will soon generate alcohols when losing an oxygen atom.

Synthesis of hashishene from myrcene using UV-light

Other volatile constituents widely detected in most hashish samples were caryophyllene/humulane derivatives – as well as linear alkanes, esters, fatty acids or alcohols – all as a result of processes of isomerization, dehydration, cyclisation and photo-oxidation from the manufacture of hashish. Researchers propose to rename monoterpene 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane – a photolytic rearrangement of beta-myrcene – as “hashishene” due to its rare occurrence in other essential oils and to its high abundance in hashish.

Hashishene:

• Name: 5,5-dimethyl-1-vinylbicyclo[2.1.1]hexane
• Formula: C10H16
• Molecular Weight: 136.234 g/mol
• Boiling Point: 161°C (321°F, 434ºK)
• Critical Pressure: 3022.28 kPa

Fresh frozen extractions yield much less hashishene

link for above article: https://www.alchimiaweb.com/blogen/hashishene-the-terpene-of-hashish/

 

[gb123]

There was a chick from hamsterslam on uk420 that used to show all the different shmea she'd burn..
holy shit ...some of the pieces were un friggin believable..

 

[Jefferson1977]

Informative posts dude.

 

[The Hippy]

Well that is interesting info..thanks Quad. Makes sense, as I remember some of the hash was spicy smelling. Especially the slab hash. I call it that anyway. It was thin and greenish. And sort of flaked in layers from your main chunk. LONG time ago but the smell was great. Even in some foil it smelled. Tasted great as well.
So if this terpine has been converted by the sun.....hmmm...it stand to reason that some flowers dried in the sun would as convert this terpine to hashishene. What I'm getting at was that sometimes the brick weed we got back then had a very spicy aroma as well. A lot like the hash did. Same sun..same beta-myrcene converted to hashishene. What i'm saying again is that the hash and weed were both imported and seemed to be similar...at times only though.
So maybe that old brick weed, which could be really good or really bad was sun dried. Thereby creating that nice import hash flavor we all like.
I'm gonna grab some but only the best i can find. Who the hell want mediocre shit?

 

[Jefferson1977]

I was in Zurich and met some Afghani's. This is going back 25 years at least. Anyways they told me how they made the hash I loved. According to them, it invoved burying the hash in the desert sand a couple feet deep or something for about 5 years. This was the curing process according to them. They were pretty honest to god Afghani desert guys so I believe them. Anyways they sold me a QP and I flew home with it.

 

[gb123]

Anyways they sold me a QP and I flew home with it.

that's what ya do!!

 

[odam2k]

Connoisseur action.....

I watched that when you posted it, and today, I had to visit my buddy cause my plants aren't ready yet, and he had an oz of outdoor budz (last season) for $100, or 1 oz of heat pressed trichomes for the same price. I decided to go with the pressed trichomes, I mean, that's gotta be a better deal...

Anyhow, it's sorta crumbly, get's you high, and way better than the buds... Then I remembered this video, and decided to give it a go, so I crumbled some off the edges, heated it up, massaged it, and after 10 or 15 minutes, I had some nice soft pliable black hash.... I don't think it's any better, but it smells better and looks better. And with an ounce of it, I can finally chime in on this thread, like an expert

 

[odam2k]

 

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I watched that when you posted it, and today, I had to visit my buddy cause my plants aren't ready yet, and he had an oz of outdoor budz (last season) for $100, or 1 oz of heat pressed trichomes for the same price. I decided to go with the pressed trichomes, I mean, that's gotta be a better deal...

Anyhow, it's sorta crumbly, get's you high, and way better than the buds... Then I remembered this video, and decided to give it a go, so I crumbled some off the edges, heated it up, massaged it, and after 10 or 15 minutes, I had some nice soft pliable black hash.... I don't think it's any better, but it smells better and looks better. And with an ounce of it, I can finally chime in on this thread, like an expert

I'm glad you enjoyed the video. I love reading and learning more about cannabis, so sometimes I share what I think others may find interesting too
If anyone has some article or video that they want to post regarding import hashes - from anywhere - please post.

 

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Scoring hashish in NEPAL

Scoring Hashish in the Himalayas