Nowadays, cannabis comes in a wider variety of product types. Aside from the popular ones like fresh flowers, edibles, and joints, you can also find concentrates, tinctures, topicals, and transdermal patches from your favorite marijuana dispensary.
There’s also a relatively new type of product that’s slowly becoming popular among both users and producers: live resin. It’s essentially a form of concentrate but with even more potent, full-spectrum effects.
What Is Live Resin?
When you harvest cannabis plants for extraction, they can survive for a few hours after being cut. By the time they undergo processing (e.g., drying, curing, and trimming), they will have “died” completely. They also lose as much as 55% of their terpene profile.
This is what sets cannabis live resin apart from others. After harvesting, the plants are flash-frozen to ensure that they’re still “alive” and then given a quick blast of solvent like butane before being pressed. Doing this maintains their peak phytochemical makeup, thus preserving their natural flavors and aromas.
When extracted correctly, cannabis live resin will be of a consistency that’s both like wax and sauce: a little wet, stretchy, and sticky. Over time, the texture will change to become a little more granular than smooth. The color will also vary, depending on the strain, but will range from dark yellow to light yellow to white.
What is live resin?
Fresh, uncured cannabis flowers that have been flash-frozen right after harvesting are used to create live resin, a type of cannabis concentrate. Live resin is produced from freshly harvested plant material rather than dried or cured cannabis, in contrast to other concentrate kinds.
The cannabinoids and terpenes from the fresh plant material are extracted using a solvent, such as butane or CO2, to create living resin. Fresh cannabis has a higher concentration of terpenes than older cannabis because terpenes are the fragrant substances that give each cannabis strain its distinct flavor and aroma.
Live resin is renowned for its intense, varied scents and fragrances as well as its powerful effects. Dabbing, which includes heating the concentrate and inhaling the vapor that results, is the standard method of consumption.
Cured Versus Live, Resin Versus Rosin
Both cured and live resin are forms of cannabis concentrate, but cured resin is made from dried plants. In addition, cured resin is used to produce various types of concentrates like batter, shatter, or wax. Meanwhile, live resin is usually used as is.
Alternatively, resin and rosin differ in their extraction process. For live resin, the frozen plants undergo a solvent extraction process. Aside from the above-mentioned butane, producers can also use propane or butane hash oil. Meanwhile, live rosin doesn’t use solvent but rather heat and pressure. This removes the trichomes from the cannabis plant for further extraction.
What Are the Benefits of Live Resin?
There are three primary benefits of live resin compared to other products, even concentrates. These are:
1. Higher Terpene Profile
When cannabis undergoes traditional extraction methods, they lose up to 95% of their terpene profile. This is because terpenes, which are natural compounds that give plants their unique smells, are volatile compounds. Thus, they evaporate very quickly even at room temperature.
By freezing the live cannabis as soon as they’re harvested, producers are able to preserve most of the terpene profile of the plants. Thus, live resin can have as much as 90% of the original terpene level.
2. Higher CBD and THC Content
Beyond preserving the flavor profile of the cannabis plants, the same process of extracting live resin also results in a stronger cannabinoid profile. Thanks to the freezing process, the cannabinoids don’t break down as quickly and the resulting product is more potent.
3. Cost-Efficient Production
For marijuana producers, live resin is a cost- and process-efficient product. All they have to do is to freeze the plants after they’re harvested, then send them directly to the extraction process. Compare this to the harvesting, then drying, curing, and trimming of plants before they can be properly processed into different products, and you’ll see why live resin is gaining popularity amongst producers.
This last point indirectly results in the higher overall quality of cannabis. Because the flavor profile of live resin is closer to fresh marijuana, it’s easier to tell if the manufacturer is using low-quality plants.
Another benefit of live resin is that it’s easier to store. Most cannabis products need to be kept in a cool, dry place away from heat, direct sunlight, and sources of humidity. This way, their potency and flavor can be preserved. However, these storage conditions may not be easily met depending on the location. On the other hand, live resin can be stashed in the refrigerator.
How Do You Use Live Resin?
To experience its full flavor and potency, it’s best to consume live resin fresh. Anyway, live resin has a shorter shelf life so it’s better to use it first.
That said, there are different ways you can use live resin depending on the form it comes in. Usually, you can find live resin as either dabs, vapes, or wax.
For dabbing, you’re going to need a proper rig, a torch, and a nail. You’ll also need a proper scooper to place it on the nail. Remember: live resin is sticky, so the right tool will ensure that you get the most of it onto the dab nail.
You can also purchase live resin in preloaded disposable vape cartridges for easier consumption. If you want or if you have one, you can also use a dab pen to smoke live resin. Finally, you can use live resin as a topper for a blunt or joint for a stronger kick.
As a newcomer in the cannabis market, live resin isn’t as widespread yet, but it’s gaining popularity fast. It has its own pros and cons but considering the good benefits, it won’t be long before live resin becomes more mainstream.
Is Live Resin Dangerous?
The possibility of overconsumption or unintentional ingestion by children or animals is one potential risk associated with live resin. THC, the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis, is often present in high concentrations and can be quite potent in live resin products. Live resin and other cannabis products should be kept out of the reach of kids and animals.
The risk of respiratory irritation or lung damage from smoking or vaping live resin is another potential risk. Any substance, including cannabis, can potentially injure the lungs and respiratory system when smoked or vaped.
Additionally, using live resin when high carries the same danger of diminished judgment and coordination as using any other cannabis product. Avoid using any cannabis product, including live resin, while driving or operating heavy equipment.
Overall, live resin can have possible risks and dangers associated with its use, just like any other product. It is crucial to use it sensibly and sparingly, to be aware of the risks, and to take precautions to reduce them.
What is Live Resin vs Distillate?
Live resin and distillate are both types of cannabis concentrates, but they are made using different methods and have different characteristics.
Live resin is made from freshly harvested cannabis plants that are flash frozen and then extracted using a solvent such as butane or CO2. The freezing process helps to preserve the terpenes, which are the aromatic compounds that give cannabis its distinctive flavors and aromas.
Live resin typically has a high terpene content and a strong, complex flavor profile. It can be used for dabbing, vaping, or added to flower for an extra potency boost.
Distillate, on the other hand, is made by distilling a cannabis extract to purify it and remove impurities. This process typically involves using heat and vacuum pressure to evaporate and collect the pure cannabinoids, such as THC or CBD, from the original extract. Distillate is highly refined and has a very high cannabinoid content, often upwards of 90%. It is typically odorless, flavorless, and can be used in a variety of ways, including in edibles, tinctures, and vape cartridges.
In summary, live resin is prized for its strong, complex flavor profile and high terpene content, while distillate is highly refined and concentrated with a very high cannabinoid content. The choice between the two will depend on personal preference and intended use.
Is Live Resin the Same as Wax?
No, live resin is not the same as wax. While both live resin and wax are forms of cannabis concentrates, they differ in their production method and consistency.
Live resin is a type of cannabis concentrate that is made by freezing freshly harvested cannabis plants immediately after they are cut down, then using solvents like butane to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes from the frozen plant material. The resulting extract is known for its high terpene content and fresh, vibrant flavor and aroma.
Wax, on the other hand, is made by purging butane or other solvents from cannabis plant material that has been dried and cured. The resulting concentrate is a sticky, waxy substance that can have a texture ranging from soft and pliable to hard and brittle.
While both live resin and wax are highly potent and can be used in similar ways, they have different flavor profiles and consistencies due to the differences in their production methods.
What is Live Resin Vape?
Cannabis concentrates known as “live resin vape” are utilized in vaporizers. It is produced utilizing freshly harvested, instantly frozen cannabis flowers, which maintain the terpene profile. The cannabinoids and terpenes in the frozen cannabis are extracted using solvents like butane or propane, which are then refined and purified to create a concentrated liquid or wax.
Live resin extract is combined with a thinning agent, like propylene glycol or vegetable glycerin, to make it more viscous and suited for vaporization, which is how live resin vape cartridges are created. Once prepared, the combination is put into a cartridge that may be used with a battery-operated vape pen.
Cannabis consumers choose live resin vape cartridges because they offer a robust and tasty experience. The terpenes, which are in charge of giving the plant its flavor and scent, are more concentrated in the concentrate produced by the extraction process when fresh frozen cannabis is used. In comparison to other kinds of cannabis concentrates, live resin vapes have a distinctive flavor profile and a more well-rounded experience because of this.
What is Live Resin Sauce?
The process used to create living resin sauce sets it apart from other concentrates in a significant way. Live resin sauce is created with freshly collected plants that were promptly frozen, in contrast to other concentrations that use dried and cured cannabis. The terpenes and other volatile plant chemicals are preserved through this process, resulting in a concentrate with a more powerful flavor profile and a more nuanced scent.
What is Live Resin Delta 8?
A cannabis concentrate known as live resin Delta 8 is created from freshly frozen cannabis plants that are promptly harvested after being chopped down. The method of flash-freezing recently harvested cannabis to maintain its terpene profile results in “live resin,” a substance with a more potent and nuanced flavor and scent.
While chemically comparable to the more well-known Delta 9 THC, Delta 8 refers to a subtype of THC that has slightly distinct effects. Because Delta 8 is thought to be less effective than Delta 9, it can give some people a milder and more tolerable high.
When Delta 8 THC is used to create Live resin, a concentrate is produced that combines the distinctive flavor and scent of fresh cannabis with the more tranquil effects of Delta 8 THC.
A Detailed Look at Live Resin And Its Benefits
Cannabis plants that have just been freshly picked and flash-frozen right after being cut are used to make live resin, a sort of cannabis extract. Terpenes and other volatile substances lost during conventional drying and curing techniques are preserved by this method. Live resin has a distinct flavor profile, a fuller cannabinoid and terpene profile, and is frequently regarded as the highest quality cannabis extract on the market.
The advantages of live resin are mainly due to its abundant terpene concentration. Terpenes are organic substances that give plants their flavor and scent. They also have a variety of medicinal uses. Live resin has a number of advantages, including:
Enhanced flavor: Compared to other cannabis extracts, live resin has a more nuanced and diverse flavor profile. This is due to the terpenes' contribution to the extract's distinctive flavor and scent during the flash-freezing procedure.
Increased potency: Compared to other forms of extracts, live resin often has a higher concentration of cannabinoids. This is because more of the plant's trichomes, which are resinous glands that contain cannabinoids and terpenes, are preserved throughout the flash-freezing procedure.
Terpenes offer a variety of therapeutic effects, including lowering stress levels, elevating mood, and reducing inflammation. Live resin may be more therapeutically useful than other forms of extracts because it retains more terpenes.
Versatility: Live resin can be consumed via vaporizing, dabbing, or mixing it into food or beverages. This makes it a flexible choice for cannabis consumers who wish to test out various consumption techniques.
Overall, live resin is a superior cannabis extract that provides a number of advantages over other extract varieties. Cannabis lovers favor it because of its distinctive flavor profile, greater strength, and therapeutic properties.
