Moroccan Hash in Canada has become the new go to for old school hash smokers. In this article we dig deeper into the evolution and origins of Moroccan hash. Moroccan hash is often considered an ancient, traditional product by many Europeans. The truth is that hashish culture in Morocco is relatively young, especially when compared to traditional producing countries of this cannabis concentrate. Indeed, while hashish production in areas like Central Asia dates back centuries. This technique had not been used in Northern Africa until the second half of the 20th century. While the origins of cannabis cultivation in Morocco may date back several centuries. Hashish was not produced in this area until Westerners coming from Asia and Middle East told Moroccans about sieving cannabis plants. Before that, Moroccans mostly smoked kief (also called kif, kifi, etc.) with their sebsi pipes, which was a mixture of dried and ground herbs like tobacco and cannabis. Hashish could also be found in small amounts, although it was often Lebanese hash.

Morocco has been called the Mecca of hashish

Young man at a huge Moroccan cannabis farm

A Moroccan cannabis farm.

Morocco has been called the Mecca of hashish, as it is the largest producer of high quality product in North Africa. According to some sources, the country is home to approximately 220,000 acres of marijuana ready for cultivation. While more common in Europe, quality Moroccan hash is almost impossible to find in Canada. Compared to other kinds of hash, Maroc produces a cerebral and active high. Lightly aromatic, not too spicy. Compared to other kinds of hash the taste is very mild. It is dark brown in colour, and the consistency is extremely hard.

Pro tip: To make it softer and easier to handle, seal it tight in a plastic bag and place in a bowl of hot water for 5 minutes.

Moroccan is the most common kind of Hash on the European market, only recently it became possible for the average consumer to find other kinds of Hash on the street. Morocco is sold under many names: Standard, Melange, Premier, Zero, Zero-Zero, Sputnik, Pollen, Chocolate and probably many others. Unfortunately these names aren’t very useful, dealers sell everything which is slightly better than Standard under a variety of names. Real Pollen is light-brown in color, sold in thick, lightly compressed slabs. When heated it expands much more than other Moroccan’s.

100g of moroccan hashish held up proudly with two fingers by a Moroccan citizen
casablanca moroccan hash

Color: Greenish to brown. Due to the relatively short growing season the plants retain a quite green color at harvest. Smell: Lightly aromatic, not spicy. Taste: Compared to other kinds of Hash the taste is very mild. Personally speaking the taste of Morocco is one of my favorites, it’s very soft on the throat (especially in good varieties like Pollen or Zero-Zero) and reminds of Weed. Consistency: Quite variable, however generally quite hard. Usually Morocco is sold in 0,5 – 1,5cm thick slabs. Pollen is less pressed than normal Morocco, ZeroZero is very soft, almost like Afghani. Other forms of hashish may be solid or resinous depending on the preparation; pressed hashish is usually solid, whereas water-purified hashish—often called “bubble melt hash”—is often a paste-like substance with varying hardness and pliability; its color, most commonly light to dark brown, can vary from transparent to yellow, tan, black or red. This all depends on the process and amount of solvent left over.

What about Moroccan Hash in Canada?

Is Canadian cannabis even right for hash? Few people are even talking about hash. Producers aren’t making a lot of it, and consumers don’t seem to want it in the wake of sexier concentrates. Among friends and peer groups hash smokers are in the minority. But, as many point out, is Canadian hash even necessary? “We don’t need to make hash here because our weed is already spectacular. “Over in Pakistan, people want to smoke cannabis flower but they don’t have access to good bud, “so they are left with no other option than making a spliff” using tobacco and their local, top-tier hash.

Hash in Canada: A classic supply and demand story

In Canada, available hash has ebbed and flowed over the decades. Twitter user @TheGuyFromWpg remembers hash in 1970s Winnipeg as far superior to the available weed. “I never had any bad hash. Not once.” However, he recalls there was rarely a selection beyond Moroccan green or Lebanese blonde. “Later in the ’70s I ran across black hash a few times, which I think was from Afghanistan but I’m not 100% sure. Amazing and so strong, we thought some of it might be cut with opium, but probably not, we were just really high.” A Health Canada-approved hash product will never have the romance of minimally processed, family-run operations high in the Himalayan range. But we shouldn’t forget the Canadian hash industry is also extremely young, without the luxury of centuries-old growing regions and production knowledge passed down through generations. As such, it may take a while to establish our own standards of unique excellence. There’s no shortage of selection online for hash heads, but the real stuff is undeniably better than an hash or extract or concentrate made in Canada. Shatter is great, and in many ways stronger than this, but the body high this hash gives is second to none. Even if you don’t normally smoke hash, you should buy this now. All clients and staff who have tested it can vouch for it’s quality. Morocco is the Hash capital of North Africa and is said to produce the finest Hash in the world.

New York does pizza, Vancouver does sushi, Morocco does Hash.