Nicole Riggs 9/14/20 Nicole Riggs 9/14/20

A short guide to bubble hash from Humboldt

“The secret of hashish lifts up the spirit,”wrote the Syrian poet al-Is-Irdi in the middle of the 13th century. But transforming the plant into resinous hash is wizardry that requires both precision and craft. Humboldt County’s hash artists have been making hash from cannabis grown in the hills for decades. Bubble hash is most exquisite when crafted from plants that are allowed to fully ripen and yield extraordinary resin. “Bubble hash shows off the farmer the best,” says cannabis farmer Sunshine Johnston of Sunboldt Grown.

Barron Lutz, Nasha Extracts with Sunshine Johnston, Sunboldt Grown, Humboldt County

The concept of bubble hash is simple: Plant material is placed in a container filled with water, ice, and mesh sieves. Through agitation (stirring), the heads of the tiny trichomes (the famous resin glands) become brittle and fall off the stalks. Once the material has been agitated and the trichomes have separated, incremental strainings with mesh sieves ranging from 40 to 120 microns yield different grades of hash.

Photo credit: Talking Trees, Humboldt County

Barron Lutz moved to Humboldt County in 2006 specifically to make hash. “I need to be close to where the plants grow and understand the seasons. I was in the food and wine world before, I know how important it is to source local ingredients,” he explains. Barron sources cannabis from local Humboldt county farmers, and today his company Nasha Extracts is California’s biggest hash producer. Choosing the right strain is key. “The best strains for hash produce trichomes that are dry and oily,” says Barron. “By dry, I mean the trichome heads fall off easily. By oily, I mean there’s high oil content in the heads.”

Craig Nejedly makes hash from the cannabis grown on his farm Talking Trees farms (he also owns High Grade distribution and the Satori Wellness dispensary). For Craig, Humboldt is the best place to cultivate and make hash because of the culture and because of a supportive local government. Being able to control the process from cultivation to final product in the store enables him “to keep the integrity all the way down the line,” he explains.

Talking Trees Bubble Hash, Humboldt County

Kiskanu is a vertically-integrated cannabis producer run by husband-and-wife team Jason and Gretchen Miller. In addition to their famous line of skincare products, Kiskanu also produces hash-infused pre-rolls, or as Jason calls them, “the Friday night joint.” As cultivators and extractors, they mix and match their flower strain with the strain used for hash. Jason likes Bubble Gum for hash making, as well as newer strains like GMO, Wedding Cake or Ice Cream Cake for their amazing terpene profiles. Because each person’s endocannabinoid system reacts differently to cannabis, it appears to be terpenes, more so than THC, that impact the experience. “It’s a personalized answer,” says Jason. “This plant doesn’t fit in a box.”

Erin Hamilton and her Husband Josh Vert own Royal Key and Suprize Suprize in Arcata which has placed first in the last two Emerald Cups. When I visited their facility, hash artists Sean and Bryce were taking out a tray of hash from the freeze dryer. The trays of hash are placed in the icy-cold dryer to remove the water that was used to extract the trichome heads from the freshly frozen flowers. From there, the collected trichome heads are separated by size then placed in fine mesh bags to be skillfully pressed between large metal plates. The warm plates and precise pressure cause the trichomes membrane to melt, releasing the cannabinoids, terpenes, and forcing them through the fine mesh bag which in turn filters the membrane skin and other undesirables leaving the purest form: Live Rosin. Each batch is unique and Bryce loves the crafting. "It's about how wet and melty it's going to be," he says.

Go to a licensed dispensary, ask for hash from Humboldt and let your spirits be lifted.

Nicole Riggs 12/21/19 Nicole Riggs 12/21/19

How to buy safe, high-quality CBD in Humboldt County

Does your body go off-balance due to chronic stress? Modern life and diet can cause deficiencies in our system. How do you reset it? A balanced lifestyle including exercise and a healthy diet are key, and CBD in small, regular amounts can be helpful for some. Here’s how to buy safe, high-quality CBD in Humboldt County.

7-minute read

Here’s how to buy safe, high-quality CBD in Humboldt County. And read on for more discussion on the topic.

How to buy CBD in Humboldt

1. Go to a licensed dispensary (licensed dispensaries are listed at CApotcheck.com). Products carried in licensed dispensaries in California must have compliance test results, so you know that any product is safe in terms of potency and contaminants.

2. Ask the consultant at the dispensary for a product high on CBD and low on THC to help with managing a specific health issue--pain, sleep, inflammation, etc.

3. Tinctures or salves are a good product to start with, dosage can be easily adjusted. Ask for dosage recommendations.

4. Is the product extracted from Humboldt County-grown cannabis? Humboldt cannabis farmers have decades of experience growing superior quality cannabis organically and sustainably. You will also support local families of farmers.

5. Is the CBD extract full-spectrum, i.e. coming from the whole plant? Full-spectrum CBD extracts have exponential therapeutic effects whereas effects from single-molecule CBD extracts have been shown to hit a peak and then drop off.

What is CBD? CBD is short for canabidiol , one of the many natural compounds found in cannabis. Both hemp CBD and cannabis CBD come from the same mother plant, Cannabis Sativa. The difference is one of designation based on the amount of THC contained in the plant. If the plant has more than 0.3% THC, it’s called cannabis. If it has less than 0.3% THC, it’s called hemp and the amount of THC is small enough to be considered nonexistent. The CBD compound has no psychoactive effect.

CBD and other cannabinoids interact with our internal Endocannabinoid System (ECS) which is largely responsible for homeostasis and regulates inflammatory responses in the body. “CBD works by mimicking the ECS molecules that regulate the immune system and the nervous system. It’s effective at reducing pain, anxiety and other health issues,” explains Gretchen Miller, co-owner of Kiskanu with her husband Jason. Their Eureka-based business manufactures craft, small-batch skin and body products. “Our production starts with sourcing cannabis from local organic farms,” notes Gretchen.

Similarly, Humboldt Apothecary has an absolute commitment to buying their cannabis exclusively from small farms in the county. “Here in Humboldt, we are fortunate to have the best-quality cannabis anywhere in the world,” explains Gillian Levy, co-founder of the business which manufactures tinctures and topicals. It’s not only important to start with the best plant material, but for CBD to be most effective, it’s also key to produce extracts out of the whole plant. Some CBD products are manufactured from isolates, or 100% pure CBD, and all the other compounds of the plant have been stripped away. By contrast, full-spectrum CBD include the plant’s naturally occuring terpenes and phytocannabinoids which have been shown to help in bioavailability meaning that the the body can better absorb and make use of the CBD. In an ideal world, consumers get the synergistic effect of full-spectrum products manufactured from the whole plant.

In terms of product safety, the CBD industry is largely unregulated and products labeled ‘CBD’ in stores may not match label ingredients or compliance. The surest way to buy a safe, fully-tested CBD product is to obtain it from a licensed dispensary, of which there are many in Humboldt County.