The distinctive flavor and scent of freshly grown marijuana plants are preserved in live resin, a type of cannabis concentrate. The cannabis concentrate extracted here is “live” since it comes from newly frozen cannabis. In contrast, the cured resin is made from dried cannabis.
First, cannabis is “freshly frozen” in seconds using dry ice or a cryogenic freezing machine, a process known as flash freezing.
After spraying with a solvent like butane or propane, the whole plant matter is put through a press. In contrast to more conventional methods of cannabis extraction, this one does not require the plant material to be cured or dried.
The terpene level of cannabis may decrease due to the prolonged exposure of the plant’s surface trichomes to heat, oxygen, and light during the curing process.
Terpenes are located on trichomes, along with other volatile (easily destroyed) cannabis chemicals, and contribute to the distinctive flavor, aroma, and medicinal character of cannabis plants.
During the drying and curing process, the cannabis flower can lose as much as 55% of its terpene content, according to research. Trichophores are easily damaged during the several rounds of handling required to dry marijuana.
Skipping these processes and freezing the plant immediately after harvest is the best way to maintain its flavor and potency. The final product is ready for extraction.
Resin still alive is pliable, sticky, and can be any shade of yellow from extremely dark to very light. Jars of live resin are available and are also used in vape pen cartridges.
Live Resin vs. Live Rosin
This is where the meanings of words begin to blur together. Despite their shared name, appearance, effects, and flavor, live rosin and live resin are distinct substances with very different purposes.
Instead of being dried and cured, these items are made from fresh frozen marijuana plant debris. When making live resin, fresh frozen cannabis is mixed with a chemical solvent before being pressed, but making live rosin does not include any such solvent.
The extraction process can be sped up with the help of solvents, although doing so involves more work. Any chemical solvent used must be removed from the extract before consumption.
The best live resin producers have rigorous quality control procedures to exclude the possibility of any solvents remaining in frozen plant material or the finished product.
The public views live rosin as a more pure and authentic kind of cannabis. It is manufactured using high temperatures, water, and pressure. The downside is that producing live rosin takes more time and effort.
The rosin extraction technique, for example, produces roughly two pounds per hour, while the live resin extraction process gives about forty pounds per hour.
That’s why you’ll pay a premium for live rosin products rather than live resin ones. Both cannabis concentrates are quite potent and fragrant in their own unique ways.
How Live Resin Is Made
Making live resin calls for particular tools and expertise. Making it at home is not as easy as it may seem. It’s hazardous and ought never to take place.
The terpene-producing small resin glands (trichomes) become brittle when the entire plant is frozen. Without freeze dryers or other industrial equipment, it will be difficult for home producers to freeze the plant and retain the terpenes.
Remember that extraction works best at temperatures between -20 and -50 degrees Fahrenheit. The average temperature of a home freezer is 0 degrees Fahrenheit.
As we move on, we can no longer make these items at home. The extraction method uses low pressure, low temperatures, and flammable chemicals like butane.
The cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant are removed by butane because of their chemical link with the natural plant compounds. After removing the lipids, fats, and waxes, the solution is heated to a low temperature to boil out the harmful butane.
A powerful solvent-based concentration is the outcome of a process that can be carried out safely. There have been fatal consequences from home manufacturers, including the destruction of laboratories, private residences, and entire neighborhoods.
Don’t try making live resin unless you’re a professional. Since the whole production process of live resin requires volatile substances, it should not be attempted in a domestic setting.
Uses of Live Resin
Dabbing is the most common method of using live resin. Because concentrate can be pretty sticky, a dab tool is required for dabbing. A dab rig, torch, and nail are also necessities for dabbing.
Inhaling dabs gently is the best way to experience the full range of flavors and fragrances. Lower temperature dabbing (between 400 and 500 degrees Fahrenheit) is better for preserving the terpene profile, whereas higher temperature dabbing produces stronger effects.
A dab pen (sometimes called a wax pen or vaporizer) can be used to vape live resin. Dab pens, used to heat cannabis concentrates, should not be confused with vape pens.
A unique instrument loads live resin into the dab pen’s oven. A disposable cartridge that can be fitted onto a vaporizer is sometimes used to acquire live resin. The live resin can be sprinkled in to increase the potency of a joint or bowl.
Keep live resin in a cool environment no matter what you want to do with it to maintain its consistency and quality. If you leave a live resin in the sun, it will melt.
Benefits of Live Resin
For its superior quality, potency, and flavor, live resin is highly sought after by cannabis connoisseurs. There are many distinct benefits to using live resin as well.
Protects Cannabis’s Medicinal Constituents
To begin, the flavor and aroma of this cannabis concentrate are unparalleled to those of any other extract. Cannabis connoisseurs prefer live resin because it preserves the distinct aroma and flavor of each strain of cannabis.
An additional value of live resin is the ease with which it can be extracted. Bypassing the drying process preserves the cannabinoids and terpenes in the plant’s trichomes.
Protecting these components during extraction results in a more potent product because these are where the therapeutic advantages of other cannabis concentrates are found.
It’s also important to note that the entourage effect, which refers to the synergistic relationship between cannabinoids, terpenes, and other compounds in cannabis and other natural plant compounds, is widely believed to be at work. Keeping more of these phytocompounds around could make this effect even stronger.
Cost Effective
Producing live resin is a highly effective and economical process. Live resin is made by harvesting and freezing plants, unlike other extraction procedures that include drying, curing, and cutting cannabis flowers.
The beneficial chemicals stored in live resin are then removed with a solvent. Using live resin makes producing a high-quality concentration at a reasonable cost possible.
Possible Adverse Effects and Risks
While there are many benefits to using live resin, there are also some possible drawbacks. To be safe for human consumption, the extract produced by live resin must be washed extensively of the chemical solvents used in its synthesis.
While professional producers would always thoroughly purify their live resin concentrates of any lingering chemicals, some less reputable operators in black markets may not.
Always ensure you’re getting your live resin from a legitimate supplier, and look into independent lab tests to ensure it’s solvent-free.
Conclusion
Resin that is still alive needs to be kept in a cool place, like the fridge, in an airtight container. When storing anything, consume live resin, and use as little space as feasible.
The slower it dries out, the less air it’s exposed to. Make sure the terpenes and the high quality of the experience provided by live resin are not lost.
After reading this, you should feel confident enough to test live resin for yourself. However, remember to take it easy when experimenting with other concentrates, as live resin is much more potent than flower.
