The History of Hashish and Cannabis Concentrates

Hashish, or “hash,” as it is commonly known, is a substance traditionally made from the resin of the cannabis plant. It has a long history in Central and South Asia and the Middle East. From these regions, cannabis and hashish spread to North Africa and eventually to Europe through trade, migration and cultural exchange.

Today, hashish is more popular in Europe than in the United States, where it is often smoked mixed with tobacco in hand-rolled cigarettes. In the United States, traditional hashish has declined in popularity with the introduction of more potent cannabis extracts, commonly referred to as “concentrates.” At the same time, the use of these potent cannabis-derived concentrates has continued to grow.

Another concerning aspect of the move from traditional hashish to concentrates is their difference in potency. Traditional hashish can contain between 5% and 20% THC, while some concentrates can contain much higher concentrations of THC. This substantial increase in potency can produce stronger effects and is associated with a greater risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

Hashish and other cannabis concentrates can pose a risk of problematic use because of their THC content. Studies have shown that more frequent and intensive cannabis use, particularly involving high-potency products, is associated with an increased risk of cannabis use disorder and withdrawal symptoms. While traditional hashish has been used for thousands of years, newer, highly concentrated forms of cannabis can expose users to much higher levels of THC.

To understand how hashish made its way into so many American cities, it is important to review the long history of this drug.

What Is the Origin of Hashish?

The word hashish comes from an Arabic term historically associated with dried herbs, grass or hay. Cannabis has been used by humans for thousands of years, with evidence of its use appearing in ancient China and other parts of Asia. Over the centuries, cannabis use spread to other regions, including the Middle East and North Africa.

In the 1st Century AD, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder documented medicinal uses of cannabis products. Other Greek and Roman physicians, including Dioscorides and Claudius Galen, also mentioned cannabis in their writings.

By the Middle Ages, cannabis was well known in parts of the Middle East and was used in various preparations. By approximately 1,000 years ago, cannabis was being grown and used to produce hashish in areas that are now part of modern-day Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan and northern India.

How Did Hashish Arrive in the Western World?

The cannabis plant was cultivated in Europe for centuries, primarily for its strong fibers, which were used to make rope, fabric and other materials. European interest in the medicinal and psychoactive properties of cannabis increased later, as explorers, physicians and scholars encountered cannabis preparations in Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

In 1563, a Portuguese physician living in India named Garcia de Orta described cannabis and its effects in his work Colóquios dos simples e drogas da Índia.

A doctor named W. B. O'Shaughnessy is generally credited with helping launch the use of cannabis products in Western medicine in the mid-1800s. He studied the use of cannabis in treating illness in India and conducted his own experiments. His work, published in 1839, helped introduce cannabis-based medicines to Western medicine.

The physician J. Russell Reynolds later wrote about the therapeutic uses of cannabis in Britain. Cannabis preparations were used in Victorian medicine for a variety of conditions.

In the middle of the 19th Century, cannabis products began to be used medically in the United States for pain, depression, lack of appetite and other problems. By the late 19th and early 20th centuries, cannabis extracts were also being manufactured and sold as medicines in the United States.

Cannabis and Hashish Use in the Twentieth Century

Until the early years of the 20th Century, cannabis was an ingredient in some patent medicines, along with substances such as opium and alcohol. In 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act placed significant restrictions on the sale and distribution of marijuana. By 1970, the Controlled Substances Act classified marijuana as a Schedule I controlled substance, and greater efforts were made by law enforcement to restrict its use.

These efforts occurred just as marijuana use was becoming increasingly widespread as a result of rapid cultural change. Especially on and around college campuses, marijuana use, along with the use of other illegal drugs, grew rapidly. As marijuana use spread, hashish also became increasingly available, typically in the form of brown blocks of resin.

In the 21st Century, cannabis products have become far more available across the United States. A 2024 Pew Research Center analysis identified nearly 15,000 cannabis dispensaries nationwide based on data collected in June 2023. Today, thousands of licensed medical and adult-use cannabis retailers operate across the country, selling cannabis products that include hashish and a wide variety of concentrates.

What Is Hashish Made From?

Hashish is made from an accumulation of sticky resins produced by tiny structures called trichomes on cannabis flowers. These resins contain many different substances. The most psychoactive, or mind-altering, substance is THC, or delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol. Trichomes contain a high concentration of the cannabinoids and terpenes that contribute to the effects and characteristics of cannabis.

In one traditional method, hashish was produced by workers rubbing their hands over cannabis plants. The resins would accumulate on their hands. The resins were then stripped from the hands and rolled into small logs or balls. This form of hashish is called charas, and traditional forms of it are still made in parts of India and Nepal.

Hashish is also produced by drying cannabis plants and shaking or rubbing the plant material over a series of fine screens. What remains after multiple screenings is a powdery substance containing a high concentration of trichomes. This powdery substance is called kief. When kief is pressed into a solid form using pressure and sometimes heat, it can become hashish.

The Cannabis Industry Then Became Far More Commercialized

As the cannabis industry became more commercialized, new methods of processing cannabis flowers and extracting their compounds led to a wide range of cannabis concentrates and products. Some are made through mechanical processes, while others use solvents or other extraction methods.

New forms and products go by these names and more:

• Crumble
• Bubble hash
• Charas
• CO2 oil
• Distillate
• Kief
• Resin
• Live resin
• Live hash
• Rosin
• Shatter
• Wax
• Budder

These products are not all forms of traditional hashish. Some are cannabis extracts or concentrates made through different processing methods. Depending on the product and processing method, they may be oils, sticky resins, powders, glassy and breakable substances, or other forms of concentrated cannabis. The processing method used determines the consistency and potency of the final product.

The Potency of Hashish and Concentrated Products Makes Them Dangerous

The THC content of hashish and other concentrated products is generally much higher than that of cannabis flowers. Modern cannabis concentrates can contain very high levels of THC, sometimes exceeding 90%, while cannabis flower can also contain substantially higher THC levels than it did in previous decades.

The more potent the product, the more strongly it can affect the mind. Higher-potency cannabis products can produce greater intoxicating effects and increase the risk of overconsumption. Frequent cannabis use, particularly use of high-potency products, is also associated with an increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

There are also serious effects that can occur when a person uses cannabis, particularly at high doses or high potencies:

• Poor sense of time
• Poor short-term memory
• Inability to concentrate and complete tasks
• Poor coordination
• Difficulty carrying out complex tasks such as driving
• Reduced ability to learn
• Impaired judgment
• An "I don't care" attitude
• Reduced motivation

When a person continues using hashish or other concentrates despite harm being done to their mind, well-being and life, they may need professional help to address their cannabis use.

Addiction to Hashish and Other Concentrates Can Occur

In the United States, approximately 61.6 million people age 12 and older used marijuana in the past year, according to the 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Cannabis may be consumed in a variety of forms, including smoked flower, edibles, vaping products and concentrates such as wax, shatter and other extracts.

Among adults ages 19 to 30, approximately 10% reported daily cannabis use in 2023, defined by the Monitoring the Future study as cannabis use on 20 or more occasions in the past 30 days. More recent Monitoring the Future data continue to show cannabis use at historically high levels among adults.

Among adults ages 35 to 50, daily cannabis use reached 8.5% in 2025, up from 6.6% in 2024. Frequent cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of developing cannabis use disorder.

Frequent or intensive use of cannabis can lead to cannabis use disorder, sometimes referred to as cannabis addiction. Signs can include:

• Using more cannabis products than intended.
• Inability to quit using cannabis.
• Strong cravings for more of the drug.
• Using the drugs despite harm to oneself, family, friends and other relationships.
• Withdrawing from activities that used to be important to the user.
• Poor performance at school or work, but continuing to use the drugs.
• Needing larger amounts or higher-potency products to get the same effect.
• Experiencing physical or mental problems but continuing to use the drugs.

A person who suffers from these problems but still can’t quit needs help to break free. The best chance an addicted person has to recover is a residential, longer-term drug rehab program.

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How to Help Someone Recover from Cannabis Addiction

In a residential longer-term drug rehab, each person is protected from the drug dealers who want to victimize them. They also no longer have contact with their hashish-using friends. They have a chance to break free from their drug-using lifestyle so they can start a new, sober life.

Since 1966, the Narconon drug and alcohol rehabilitation program has helped tens of thousands of people recover from addiction to hashish or other cannabis preparations, cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs. There are more than 30 Narconon centers in 16 countries.

Narconon Is Unique

In many drug rehabs, those in recovery are given other drugs instead of being helped to become fully drug-free. Those drugs might be used to treat withdrawal symptoms or psychological effects. At a Narconon drug rehab, no substitute drugs or medications are given. Narconon is holistic and drug-free in nature. There is however medical and clinical supervision.

This is not a 12-Step program. No one is told that they will always be an addict or that addiction is an incurable, chronic disease. For six decades this program has enabled each recovering person to build strong sober living skills. Narconon has proven with its track record of success that it’s possible to be free of drugs for good.

If you care about someone who is addicted to hashish or other cannabis concentrates, don’t delay. Call Narconon today and learn more about this successful, holistic drug rehab program.

Sources:

• Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). 2025 National Survey on Drug Use and Health.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH). Elevated Use of Cannabis, Nicotine Among U.S. Adults Continues Into 2025.

• National Institutes of Health (NIH). Cannabis and Hallucinogen Use Among Adults Remained at Historic Highs in 2023.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Understanding Your Risk for Cannabis Use Disorder.

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). About Cannabis.

• Pew Research Center. Most Americans Now Live in a Legal Marijuana State—and Most Have at Least One Dispensary in Their County.

• National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). History of Cannabis and the Endocannabinoid System.

• O'Shaughnessy, W. B. On the Preparations of the Indian Hemp.

• Garcia da Orta. Colóquios dos Simples e Drogas da Índia.

• National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI Bookshelf). Cannabis and Cannabinoids.