Hashish

Hashish (often shortened to hash, and also referred to by countless slang terms such as dope) is a psychoactive drug derived from the Cannabis plant. It is usually smoked in joints or pipes, but can also be pressed between two hot knives. It is also added to cookies or other food and simply ingested. It is used for its relaxing and mind-altering effects. Many people claim that using it gives them great insights.

History

According to the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica the word assassin derives from the Arabic word حشّاشين (haššāšīn), or Hashshashin, an Islamic sect of militants founded by Hasan-i Sabbah who supposedly were avid hash-eaters. This is also the view expressed by Charles Baudelaire in his Artificial Paradises in 1857. There are many who disagree, and this has since been determined to be anti-cannabis propaganda with little or no basis in fact. But the effect of cannabis is largely dependent on the state of mind of the consumer and that may be totally different in a different time and culture. In The Book Of Breeething, William Burroughs speculates that severe winter conditions at their mountain fortress, Alamut, and extreme asceticism could have potentiated the experience. Intense cold and a lack of hearths, a sparse diet, and exhaustive labor in combination with the drug could have induced visions, he claims. Furthermore, if one wishes hashish to have the effect of becoming aggressive then it may very well have that effect.

Related Topics:
1911 Encyclopedia Britannica - Assassin - Arabic - Hashshashin - Islam - Sect - Hasan-i Sabbah - Charles Baudelaire - Cannabis - Propaganda - William Burroughs - Asceticism

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The THC content of hashish that reached the United States, where supply is limited, averaged 6 percent in the 1990s. The marijuana at the CannaTrade 2002 had THC levels ranging between 8 percent and 28 percent, comparable to some grades of hashish. Note that higher levels of THC do not necessarily imply higher levels of THC consumption, as users will frequently self-titrate (at least when smoking or using a vapouriser), consuming only the vapor until the desired effect is reached; however, it is easier to overdo the dosing with more potent material. Higher-THC material is healthier to consume, as less tars and particulates are absorbed from fewer inhalations that result in the same high.

Related Topics:
United States - 1990s

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