We took a hash class with THE hash master, and it was haschement bien!

Saturday morning, 8:30am, Barcelona's outer ring. We met in front of a beautifully graffitied metal door.

A dozen people were already waiting when we arrived. In total, there will be around twenty of us, from all countries and of all ages, men and women, who have come to take a course in making hashish from the master himself, Frenchy Cannoli.

As his name suggests, Frenchy is French. He traveled all his youth through the mountains of India, Nepal and Morocco. Also in South-East Asia with his wife Kimberly, who kindly welcomes us. Winter in Goa, summer elsewhere.

What all these countries have in common is the massive production of cannabis, either for local and more cultural consumption, or for export. Frenchy has made friends with some of these families, who have passed on to him the traditional science of hashish-making.

Sharing knowledge

Today, Frenchy is here to share his knowledge. The knowledge he acquired abroad has since been put to the test by modern cannabis science. The course begins with a dissection of the trichomes, the cannabis resin glands («crystals») that contain both the resin and terpenes that interest her so much. Once detached from the trichome stem, and using the methods Frenchy will show us, these «resinous eggs» agglomerate to form a brownish paste, the future hashish. But that's getting ahead of ourselves.

Frenchy goes on to explain how the cannabinoids, which start from the same precursors and divide over the course of their lives into acid, neutral (or decarboxylated) and oxidized forms. The hashishin's work will be, in his words, to get rid of the A without going to the N. The acid form is not psychoactive, whereas «old cannabis» (THC transforming into CBN) is more of a soporific.

Terpenes are also an essential component of hash. These molecules, which give cannabis its distinctive taste and smell, are found in all kinds of plants, from lavender to pine to lemon. They're also what make a resin and its effects so special. Visit terpenes help cannabinoids to cross the blood-brain barrier, boosting their efficacy.

From theory to practice

After these theoretical reminders, it was time to get down to business. Frenchy brought all his equipment with him. And if you were expecting a 25t semi-trailer for his extraction, you've thought too big. All you need to make one of the world's best hashes is a camping washing machine (surprisingly out of stock on Amazon), a few buckets, three sieves and a glass bottle. You also need access to water, ice cubes and manicure sheets (sugar trim), clean towels and a kettle.

The general principle is to thoroughly moisturize your manicure, and then proceed with a dozen or so «washes», using cold water and ice cubes. The first wash takes no more than a few seconds to bring out a nice dab of trichomes.

We won't go into too much detail here (you'll just have to follow along). our Insta 😉 ), but what we can say:

• Water extraction works very well. In terms of yield, 300g of manicure leaves yield around 30g of hash (10%). An experienced hashish can yield up to 15-18%. The result also depends on the quality of the manicure.
• Drying is very important. Frenchy leaves its patties (hash paste) in the freezer for a few days. When he doesn't have a freezer, he passes his paste through the mesh of a metal strainer, and spreads the grains out on greaseproof paper to dry completely. Depending on the humidity in the drying area, this can take up to 2 weeks. This is a crucial stage, as the material must be perfectly dry to avoid providing a comfortable breeding ground for mold.
• The impressive taste and smell of his hash comes from the final stage of production. Frenchy passes his dry pasta under a glass bottle filled with boiling water, as if using a rolling pin. This trick allows the cannabinoids to be decarboxylated, facilitating absorption and protecting the terpenes in the hashish mass, thus multiplying its olfactory and gustatory properties. This can be done with any quality resin.

The sugar trim

Frenchy never travels without his washing machine

Chewy hashes

The famous «grains»

Pressed dough

The star of temple ball

After all these steps, Frenchy rolls his hash into a temple ball, lets it rest for 2 days in a cool place, then packages it for sale or storage.

Today, it's workshop time, and the sharing will go all the way. In addition to his freshly pressed Jack Qleaner hash (grown by Swami Select), he's brought along a few samples of Amnesia hash and Bubble Gum OG. The course ends in a tasting, and everyone present feels they've tasted an exceptional moment. As for us, we'd love to buy ourselves a new washing machine!

#fortheloveoftheplant

Frenchy Cannoli is a consultant, educator and writer in the cannabis industry, with specific skills in making hash from traditional methods.

You can follow him on his IG @frenchycannoli and on www.frenchycannoli.com.

Frenchy is set to hold further workshops in Barcelona in March 2018. Events will be announced on its online calendar.