Cooking with Hash

Heavenly Hash: The Art, Science and Industry of Cooking with Cannabis Extracts

by Samuel Wells Samuel Wells is an Assistant Professor of English in Denver, CO

An Edible Enigma

As scientific and cultural understanding of the health benefits of cannabis therapies continues to grow, more patients are turning to infused edibles as a healthy and smoke-free form of ingestion.

Eating marijuana food is a tricky proposition at best, however: difficult dose titration, extended time until onset and poor potency are all common complaints with patients whether they purchase their cannabis edibles at a local dispensary or craft them at home.

How can hungry, relief-seeking medical marijuana consumers know the products they buy or bake will provide them with maximum benefit?

One answer to this problem that is quickly gaining pop-ularity is to cook with hashish: extracted, concentrated cannabinoids. Creating edible cannabis food with hash is an easy, cost-effective way to craft high-potency med-icine. Which methods of extraction are best for cooking, baking and eating? How can dispensary-going patients know the edible products they purchase are safe, healthy and effective?

Healing with Whole Plant Hash

The simplest and safest method for cannabinoid extraction is the cold-water technique, which creates what is commonly referred to as “bubble hash”. Plant matter is dried and frozen before being agitated in a bath of ice water and filtered through a series of mesh bags in order to collect the precious trichromes and plant resins.

Bubble hash kits are readily available for home use and the end product is particularly effective as the active ingredient in edible marijuana medicine.

Simply Pure, a Colorado company that specializes in creating organic cannabis edibles, uses a combination of marijuana-infused coconut oil and whole-plant bubble hash in order to insure potency and consistency. Their products, which range from chocolate coconut almond cups and sesame brittle bars to apple butter, mango salsa and green chile, provide patients with the comfort that comes with lab-tested food handmade by experts.

“We grow all our own organic medicine and use the entire plant to make our bubble hash,” proclaims Simply Pure Chef Lauren Gennett. “We don’t just use trim or sugar leaf. That way we get the entire spectrum of cannabinoids and their healing properties.” Growing all their own cannabis also allows Simply Pure to close-ly regulate the purity and strength of their edibles, which are batch-tested by Full Spectrum Labs; potency and individual cannabinoid content is listed on the label of every product.

“Another benefit of using fully activated (decarboxylated) hash for edibles is that you don’t need to include so much fat or oil in the meal,” Chef Lauren claims. “Patients concerned about calorie counts or fat content should absolutely consider using hash instead of or in conjunction with coconut oil or butter. Because the THC has been fully activated, adding those lipids becomes less important and more of the cannabinoids are available for absorption by the bloodstream.”

Cooking with extracts also has many culinary benefits as well. “Using hash allows us to maximize the medici-nal value of the plant while minimizing harsh flavors,” Lauren says. “Because we grow it ourselves organically and use whole bud, we know as much as possible about the raw material and can deliver a final product of the highest quality.”

Simply Pure is dedicated to helping medical marijuana patients create their own healthy, edible medicine at home. Along with a line of products that includes a pre-infused organic coconut oil, the company is releasing a cookbook stocked with recipes from their award-win-ning chefs for patients eager to experiment with hash-based cannabis cookery. There are many recipes for those who grow their own herb and extract it into bub-ble hash or who purchase it from their local dispensary as an ingredient in meals. Included at the end of this arti-cle is a preview recipe for a delicious Bubble Hash Rasta Pasta with Cilantro Pesto, straight from the kitchen of Simply Pure Chef Lauren Gennett!

The Problem with Solvents

Some of the most common methods for creating hashish for edible medicine involve the use of industrial solvents like ethyl alcohol, butane and even propane. While the popularity of these techniques is due primarily to their high rate of efficiency, many of these solvents are not only environmental pollutants but health and safety risks and should only be used by professionals with licensing and experience in the handling of hazardous materials. Butane extraction is illegal in both California and the Netherlands; many states with new medical marijuana laws are currently considering similar restric-tions.

Solvent quality is also a major concern when one considers the final edible product: only the cleanest, purest forms should be used. Novice extractors who use canned butane meant for refillable lighters are risking the possibility of exposure to harmful substances such as heavy metals: their effect on edible and orally-consumed products is unknown and best avoided by the do-it-yourself patient. It has also been surmised that some solvents may actually chemically alter cannabinoids in ways not yet fully understood: this might help explain why solvent extractions can yield final cannabinoid profiles very unlike those of the raw material from which they originated.

A Supercritical Solution

The ultimate answer to the problem of solvent-bashed hash is to use a safe extraction media that poses no harm to self or environment. OrganaLabs, headquartered in Denver, has chosen to use a cutting-edge method     known as supercritical CO2 extraction to produce clean, potent hash oil with no dangers of adulteration by pollutants or poisons.

The process is commonly applied to decaffeinate coffee and teas but with proper adjustments can safely remove the entire cannabinoid profile from raw marijuana. “Supercritical” means that carbon dioxide is subjected to very specific temperatures and pressures until it exhibits characteristics of both a fluid and a gas: heat-ing CO2 until it is above 87° Fahrenheit and pressuriz-ing it between six and ten thousand psi before it inter-acts with the raw material produces a rich, molasses-like hash oil with a THC content of over 80% and a small number of plant waxes which are easily removed. OrganaLabs either combines this hash oil with a small amount of glycerin as a stable “mixer” or processes the oil directly into their CannaTabs, small dissolvable lozenges meant to be administered sublingually (under the tongue) in doses of 10 mg.

Owners Mathew Ellis and Ralph Morgan care deeply about delivering a high-quality, safe and pure product to medical marijuana patients. “This process allows us almost total control over effectiveness and bio-availability. I know why our products do what they do,” Mathew proclaims. Their CO2 CannaTabs are individually dosed at 10 mg but the unique formula allows for immediate relief upon application and the cannabinoids are absorbed directly into the bloodstream from the mucus membrane beneath the tongue. This fast-acting and pow-erful medicine can also be taken in liquid form by combining with food and drink or simply rubbing the hash oil onto the gums and tongue.

Although OrganaLabs’ single orally-consumable product is the CannaTab, (“We are not bakers”, they say) Ralph and Mathew work with edible infusers across the state and are always excited to discuss cannabinoid interactions with other foods, supplements and natural herbal remedies like kava and ginko biloba. Ralph, a former health care professional and owner of the upscale Evergreen Apothecary in south Denver, envi-sions a new form of health clinic where medical doctors, natural healers, nutritionists and herbalists would con-sult together to maximize a patient’s well-being. This form of cooperative medicine would not only help deliv-er the best possible care to each patient but would also spread knowledge of medical cannabis across the spec-trum of treatment options and add to our knowledge of how this miraculous plant aids health and well-being.

The supercritical CO2 method is the cleanest and safest form of cannabinoid extraction currently used for the creation of medical marijuana oils. Future potential for the technology includes the ability to extract individual cannabinoids from raw material in order to deliver focused doses of CBD, CBN and THCV tailored to each patient’s needs and requirements, a concept that eliminates the guess work from titration and will allow near-total control of the effects and benefits of medical marijuana. By embracing this eco-and health-friendly technology, companies like OrganaLabs are breaking new ground in the effective delivery of edible hashish oils and forging new paradigms of healthcare for patients every-where. Interested patients can learn more about the company at www.organalabs.com.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

This menu shows the most recently posted content for a quick update since you last checked-in.

How to Sober Up from Being High?

Cannabis consumption brings different effects, depending on the person’s level of smoking tolerance. After an extreme euphoric effect, what comes...

From the Family Vault of Shanti-Baba

"Seems more than strange to grow up as a child and see how important my parents and their peers viewed...

Why Get Pines Wheatgrass

Wheatgrass might just be a typical plant growing in your backyard, but few people know that it has a lot...

How to Make Your Own Canna-Caps

by Old Hippie BeyondChronic.com What do you do when you need cannabis medicine and you can’t or don’t want to...

Database Search

Are you researching marijuana as medicine? Use the simple form below to search any condition. Read personal stories from patients just...

Cannabinoid Receptors in the Body and Their Importance

David B. Allen M.D. By legal Democratic Vote; Cannabis Is Medicine To get CBD from top verified sources, click here....

The True Origins of Haze

By Big Herb It all began in 1969, In Santa Cruz, California. At the time, there was Thai Oaxacan and...

Top 5 Health Benefits of Hemp Seeds

Hemp seeds are those seeds that are formed from Cannabis Sativa, a hemp plant. They are different from marijuana but...

Cannabis and Working Out

If you're wondering how cannabis can help you with your workout regime, then you probably need to read this article....

How Companies Are Creating Innovative New CBD Products

Cannabidiol (CBD) is a non-psychoactive compound found in cannabis and hemp that may deliver unique health benefits. CBD is just...

5 Marijuana Compounds That Could Help Combat Cancer, Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s

by Paul Armentano Deputy Director of NORML (the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws) This commentary was initially...

Living with Osteogenesis Imperfecta

By Michael Morrow My name is Michael Morrow, I'm 37  years  old and I have Osteogenesis Imperfecta. OI is a...

Gifts from Mother Nature

By Dianna Donnelly - "The couch activist” Aspirin, otherwise known as Acetylsalicylic Acid, is one of the most commonly ingested preventative medicines...

Paradise Seeds Allkush; More Than Just Kush

One of the new feminised strains from Paradise Seeds is named “Allkush”. So nothing but Kush? Taken genetically literally, no...

28ft… The John Berfelo Story

By John Berfelo "Medical marijuana saved me from a life on pharmaceutical drugs..." My name is John Berfelo and this...

My Grinspoon Moment

By Carl Hedberg Sometimes a single meeting can change your life. Such was the case for me when, in the...

The Science Behind Cannabis Safety

David B. Allen M.D. By legal Democratic Vote; Cannabis Is Medicine. Drug safety is on the minds of most all...

Heavenly Hash: The Art, Science and Industry of Cooking with Cannabis Extracts

by Samuel Wells Samuel Wells is an Assistant Professor of English in Denver, CO An Edible Enigma As scientific and...

Living High with HIV

How Medical Marijuana Rivals Mainstream HIV Medicine By BenBot In 2011, I was diagnosed with HIV. An unmarked van was...

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

With Veterans at Risk, Change is Necessary, but Progress is Slow By Mary Lou Smart In 1933, the repeal of...

Milagro Oil for Lung Cancer

By Mary Lou Smart www.medicalcannabisart.com Compassionate care advocates Michelle and Michael Aldrich at Patients Out of Time’s Seventh National Clinical...

Living and Dealing with ADHD

by Patricia Allen It was back in 1974 that I first became familiar with the term Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder...

Inflammatory Comments

by Bill Drake As a long-time TY reader I’ve noticed what seems to me to be a rather over- whelming...

How Cannabis Might Keep Coronary Stents Open Longer

By David B. Allen M.D.Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgeon, Member ICRS. And Prisoner of the Drug War Cali215doc@gmail.com First the set...

Unlocking the Secrets, Advanced Tissue Culture

Tissue Culture is a process of isolating cells from plant tissue (explants) which are cultured (grown artificially), in a nutrient...

Anxiety Panic Disorder and Cannabis

By Hal Lubinsky My name is Hal Lubinsky. I'm in my forties, a husband, a father, a grandfather, a U.S....

Can Cannabis Cure Schizophrenia?

By Richard Shrubb, Freelance sailing, health and social affairs journalist ould cannabis treat or even cure schizophrenia? Things look promising...

Multiple Sclerosis: Regaining the Good Life with Whole Plant Therapy

By Mary Lou Smart© 2012 www.medicalcannabisart.com A trial attorney, Jim Dyer practiced law in Tucson, Arizona for 34 years before...

The Science of Cannabis Leads in Many Directions

The Evolution of a Sense of Well-Being By Mary Lou Smart www.medicalcannabisart.com While speaking at Patients Out of Time’s Seventh...

Healthy Body, Healthy Mind

By Shantibaba It is evident for all people who wish to listen that doing all things within moderation is better...

Post Traumatic Stress

Psychology and Medication at its Best By Jeff Kundert OTR Jeff works as a Wellness and Fitness Educator. He has...

The Ripper Effect

By Subcool Some really interesting information has come to my attention, and I am very excited to tell everyone in...

Auto-flowering Plants

By Shantibaba The discreet evolution of Auto-flowering cannabis plants is a recent occurrence, one that is in mode at present...

Uncovering the Original Sacrament: Chris Bennett’s Cannabis and the Soma Solution

Review by Samuel Wells When asked to name an author crucial to the growing mainstream understanding of the uses of...

Cornerstone of Individualized Phytogenetics ACDC 22:1 @ CB3

Alternative Cannabinoid Dietary Cannabis 22%CBDA:1%THCA acting at GPR55 Alias CB3 by William L. Courtney, MD, AACM American Academy of Cannabinoid...

Mr. Magoo

By Ron Hudson My birthdays: I woke that birthday morning, in October of 1966, knowing it would begin like the...

Medical Cannabis University

By Reverend Philip H Hoff - Chancellor, MedicalCannabisUniversity.org ( MCU, Inc. ), a 501 c(3) nonprofit school. The school focused...

Storm’s Story

By Georgia Peschel WHEW! Delivering this kid was like delivering a hurricane!” When our son was born, those were our...

Soil Pests & Diseases

By Lazystrain Soil is a living organism made up of billions of microbes and bacteria. The cosmology of soil life...

A Tragedy Felt Around the World

by Jonny Appleweed On Oct. 27, 1970, President Richard M. Nixon signed into law the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and...

Autism & Cannabis

Prohibition Makes it Tough on Parents by Mary Lou Smart Jeremy Patrone (not his real name) has a goal. He...

Vaporization of Cannabis: Are there benefits over combustion?

By William Eckhardt Although vaporization is a relatively recent development for the delivery of cannabinoids the proliferation of vast numbers...

Bedrocan

By Harry Resin Generally when you think of Amsterdam, you think of the coffee shops, but that’s not all that’s...

How Does Wattage Affect Your Vape? Beginners Guide to Wattage

Many vape devices available on the market allow you to adjust the wattage so that it suits your personal preferences....

9 Healthy Ways of Coping With PTSD

PTSD can affect many individuals and isn’t something that only happens to folks who have served in the army and...

Secrets To A Good Night’s Sleep

After a night spent turning and tossing, you will wake up feeling tired, grumpy, and sleepy. As we get older,...

4 Things To Keep In Mind Before Starting Your Cannabis Journey

Cannabis has recently become legal for medical usage in multiple parts across the U.S and several other countries for recreational...