TECHNICAL SECTION: CANNABIS, Dr. R. J. Bouquet
While Aruanan is going somewhere with this comment, I don't know exactly where.
Fascinating. Please expand upon this. I always thought that hash was simply marijuana that had excess plant material removed, leaving mostly oil.
You're as close as it gets.
Marijuana is cleaned, (stems and seeds)cut and sifted to fine powder and pressed into solid blocks.
This is typical "hash" in the US.
Further processing (usually boiling in alcohol) will result in an alcohol-resin mix referred to as Hash Oil.
The Oil can be rendered down to practically pure resin, and given time, will harden into small amber-like sticky chunks.
I do not know of anyone that would ADD something to the Oil or resin to "give it form and bulk".
It already HAD "form and bulk" in the form of Hash.
As the article is talking of "Eastern" hash, we may be speaking of hash that has had opium, morphine or heroin added to it. (first two known as opium hash or Morphine Green. There's a name for the heroin hash too, but I don't remember it. )
* note * Opium is the base narcotic for Morphine and Heroin, respectively, each a refined product of the former.