A Treasury of Hashish

A Treasury of Hashish is a complete history of hashish, from prehistory right up to the classic hippy era after which real hashish sort of disappeared over the horizon. This new edition of the wonderful classic, long out of print, is entirely hand lettered with a clever drawing, rare photo, or antique map on every page—a work of art.

Dr. Sumach explains that the ancient golden age societies of China, Greece, and Rome were familiar with high end hashish and valued the imported article as a powerful medicine and aid to the work of imagination management. Real hashish has always been the plaything of kings and those with whom he was friendly... the artists and poets at his court. But we learn, hashish could also be wielded as a terrible tool of tyrants.

When pioneers brought hash back home to America, this super smoke created a instant market for high quality, reasonably priced, imported hashish among the urban hippies who were more accustomed to hotboxing ditchweed and indulging in the occasional joint of Mexican bunk. Real hash was legendary, the stuff of hippy fairy tales, as hash smuggling soon became the dangerous game of bravado that was more trouble than it was worth.

A Treasury of Hashish reveals that hash is something unique and specially prepared. Hence its great cost and rarity, even in the olden days. This is because the secrets of growing the finest pedigree cannabis plants under optimal conditions, selecting the best specimens and preparing them for hashish requires a master chefs eye for quality. Making real hash is more an art than a science. It can be done, and you can do it too, but you have to pay attention.

Dr. Alexander Sumach, THC is the pen name of Canadian artist/ activist Roddy Heading who self published a series of underground best-selling books about the cannabis phenomena that was exploding onto the North America social frontier in the 1970s.

Apart from his work as a DIY cannabis book pioneer he has been a busy commercial cartoonist and cinema animator working for Sesame Street, The National Film Board of Canada and numerous animated TV commercials. He has done syndicated comic features His cartoons and short stories have appeared in major Canadian and European publications as well as in several left of mainstream American magazines.

In his "straight" non-cannabis career, Dr Sumach was an early promoter of visionary popular science themes, selling the Metric System, vegetarian nutrition and what would eventually become world class rock 'n' roll acts to an unsuspecting public.

In the 1990s, Dr Sumach was summoned to Oittawa, the Nation’s Capitol to explain what hemp was all about to the Canadian Senate. He was able to convince a reluctant Canadian Government to pass laws legalizing Industrial Hemp. This progressive legal precedent passed unanimously in the Canadian House of Commons This bold initiative gave Canada a 25-year head start in the hemp business over its envious neighbor, the USA. As a result Canada is now the second largest producer of hemp in the world, and the only nation in the western hemisphere that grows Industrial Hemp. Dr Sumach has written extensively about the hemp industry in Canada since its first experimental farms and has lectured about hemp and marijuana at Colleges and Universities across Canada. He has appeared as a guest on numerous TV and radio shows to enlighten the public about the versatile cannabis plant and its many incarnations in modern life.

Dr Sumach’s delightful hand lettered profusely illustrated books about marijuana, hashish and industrial hemp were wildly successful in spite of being technically against the law in Canada. Dr Sumachs books. constantly reprinted and distributed by the hippy subculture helped inspire a multi billion dollar cottage marijuana cottage industry in Canada and the USA. After 40 years on the job, Dr Sumach is still one of the leading lay experts concerning all things cannabis in North America, His books are as well received in Europe as they are in North America. Dr Sumach has done a lot to made sense about cannabis - in an entertaining, informative and timeless way.

He also designed and helped market a successful Marijuana Culture Board Game Trafficking (1983) that has enjoyed several reprints.

Dr Sumach is an self taught economic botanist and lifelong straight edge vegetarian gardener. He continues to create new projects in his studio in the small Southern Ontario town of Niagara on the Lake, down river from Niagara Falls where he keeps busy identifying and documenting post Ice Age archeology sites.

Feature writer illustrator for Popular Press Hemp Magazines, Documentary films, Hemp Industry reference books, Canada, USA, Europe (1990-2000)

Hemp Commerce and Farming Report Saskatoon
Hemp World Magazine Van Nuys CA
Hemp Life Magazine Amsterdam
Journal of the International Hemp Association Amsterdam
Cannabis Culture Magazine - Vancouver
High Times Magazine - New York
Hanf Magazine - Germany
Contributor to "The Great Book of Hemp"
Fellow of The International Hemp Association, Netherlands
Member: Hemp Industries Association. USA
Member: Hemp Trade Alliance, Canada

CINEMA TELEVISION
METRIC/ METRIQUE 1975
Animated, 12 minutes, National Film Board of Canada
Writer, designer, character voices, studio partner Toronto
SESAME STREET, CANADA 1977- 1982
Animation design and production numerous TV segments
Mammoth Pictures Toronto