There are various ways to enjoy cannabis. There’s the traditional method of smoking using pipes, bongs, or roll-ups; consuming edibles, and smoking resin. Resin is a concentrated form of cannabis and is very much worth trying.
What Is Cannabis Resin?
Cannabis resin is a light to dark brown, sticky substance found on the trichomes of a cannabis plant. Trichomes appear on flowers and sugar leaves of mature female plants. These trichomes produce all of the medical efficacy and psychoactive effects of marijuana. Resin is considered the most valuable part of the plant and delivers the majority of the psychoactive compound THC. Products containing resin are called concentrates.
How Is Resin Made?
How resin is made varies depending on the type of resin. Techniques range from simple application of pressure and heat to complex processes requiring expensive lab equipment and trained technicians. Live resin is made by flash-freezing the cannabis plant immediately after harvest, ensuring that all of the compounds don’t have any chance to deteriorate. The extraction process is meant to remove as many of the impurities, namely fats and lipids, as possible from the product.
Different Types Of Cannabis Resins
The first major distinction to be made when it comes to different types of resin is whether it’s purely just resin or if it’s live resin. Typical resin is the substance left behind after using a pipe or bong a few times without cleaning your tools. It has very little THC and cannabinoids, and is generally only smoked out of pure desperation. Live resin is a concentrate which is high in terpenes and other cannabis material. Terpenes are what give cannabis its full-bodied aroma. Cannabis users who enjoy strong aroma and the medical efficacy of terpenes tend to prefer live resin. Other types include:
- Hash: a euphoria-inducing concentrate that has been used for decades. Made by separating trichome crystals before rolling it into a ball or pressing it into a brick.
- Butane Hash Oil (BHO): one of the most popular forms of cannabis concentrate, though very expensive and dangerous to manufacture. Highly potent with a fast onset, most often used in dabs. Made by removing fatty trichome resin glands from the cannabis plants using butane.
- Rosin: concentrate in which the dried and cured flowers of the plant are pressed under a combination of heat and pressure to release THC-rich resin. Some dispensaries even offer rosin presses to press your own after purchasing, or you can even use a hair straightener at home.
- CO2 Oil: concentrate derived from resin that’s been extracted from a plant by using a solvent. Incredibly expensive and dangerous process.
These types also come in different forms. These forms are: saps, shatters, crumbles, butters, distillates, kief, ice water extract, and dry sift. Consistency, viscosity, and clarity are all different based on how they were extracted.
Different Types of Smoke Differently
Smoking simple resin, those leftovers from a dirty bong or pipe, will be a much harsher, less palatable smoke than live resin or resin produced by any other means. The quality of the plant that the resin is extracted from will determine the quality of the resulting resin and the smoke. The best way to be sure that you get the best smoke is to invest in high-quality cannabis plants to extract from or to purchase high-quality cannabis resin concentrate.
How To Store Resin?
Cannabis resin will begin to dry out when exposed to the air. It is important to keep it in an airtight container in a cool environment. For long-term storage, a refrigerator would be the ideal place to keep it. If you’re only storing short-term, any darker place that is room temperature or less would work fine. The container that the resin is stored in will depend on the form it takes. Resin shatter, for example, shouldn’t be stored in glass jars, as it can be difficult to get out again. Live resin sauce or butter, on the other hand, are perfect to store in glass jars. Aside from glass jars, cannabis resin can also be stored in plastic jars, silicone jars, or even just parchment paper.
How Long Does Cannabis Resin Last?
The shelf life of cannabis concentrates depends on various things, like the quality of the original plant and how the resin is then packaged and stored. Based on these factors, some may keep their quality indefinitely, and others may lose their quality very quickly. Storing shatter resin in parchment paper on the kitchen table will most likely decrease its potential shelf-life tremendously. But storing that same product in a plastic jar in the refrigerator will allow for its enjoyment for significantly longer
Discovering new ways to get high is one of the highlights of the cannabis industry. Cannabis users who prefer vaping might already be familiar with distillate, a type of cannabis extract designed for use in vape pens. Distillate, however, is not the only cannabis extract on the market – there’s also live resin. Deciding whether or not you prefer to vape cannabis with distillate or live resin is a matter of personal preference.
Some compare the difference between the two cannabis concentrates as the difference between drinking orange juice from concentrate (distillate) and drinking orange juice that is freshly squeezed (live resin). If you’re intrigued about the benefits of getting high with live resin concentrates, this guide is all you need. Provided below is an overview of what live resins are, what distinguishes live resins from other cannabis concentrates, and the kind of experience you can expect when using live resin.
What Is Live Resin?
Live resin is a cannabis concentrate extracted from the fresh flowers of the cannabis plant. Plants are harvested at the peak of the season, then flash-frozen to ensure maximum preservation of “trichomes,” also known as the essence of the plant.
The trichomes are one of the most critical components of the cannabis plant. This is where it’s terpenes and cannabinoids are stored. Terpenes determine a cannabis variety’s aroma, while cannabinoids are the chemical compounds responsible for creating a cannabis high. Once the cannabis flowers are flash-frozen, their essence is extracted to create live resin. ,
Looks Like Honey But Packs A Punch
Live resin has a dense, sauce-like consistency similar to crystallized honey. Also similar to honey, the color of live resin ranges from light yellow to dark yellow to white. Live resin is quite sticky, like most cannabis extracts, so it’s recommended that you use a dab tool during preparation.
Live resin concentrates are rich in THC. This creates a strong, intense high that may be more ideal for seasoned cannabis users than people who are new to cannabis consumption. This, coupled with its high terpene content, which provides the aroma of the resin, results in a great product for cannabis users.
How Are Live Resins Created?
Live resin is created by flash-freezing the cannabis plants immediately after harvest. The plants remain frozen throughout the extraction process, omitting the entire drying, curing, and trimming stages.
Flash-freeze extraction is arguably superior to extraction by drying and curing. This is because the drying and curing process impacts the plant’s terpenes, in other words its natural flavors and aromas. During the drying and curing process, moisture and chlorophyll exit the plant.
As a result, the plant is exposed to heat, oxygen, and light, which break down the terpenes. The trichomes also break off the plant when handled and moved during harvesting.
Flash-freezing, by contrast, protects the terpenes. So, when live resin is created, the terpene profile remains unhindered. This explains live resin’s reputation for rich and aromatic flavors. Since the live resin has a high terpene concentration, the live resin can deliver a taste similar to fresh fruit or herbs.
What Is The Difference Between Cured Resin And Live Resin?
The primary difference between distillates, or cured resin concentrates, and live resin concentrates is the starting material. Cured resin is created from dried plant material. Live resin is produced from frozen plant material preserved during the extraction process.
Whether one is better than the other depends on a person’s preference. While the live resin is often considered superior to cured resin, any resin with light hydrocarbons is considered flavorful and aromatic.
How the Terpene Content Impacts Live Resins
Terpenes influence the unique aromas and flavors of different cannabis plants. Live resin concentrate retains the highest percentage of terpene content possible, far more than other cannabis concentrates
Unlike cannabinoids, terpenes are not psychoactive. However, they do contribute to the overall quality of the cannabis experience. The terpene compound compliments the cannabinoids to initiate the ‘entourage effect,’ a term used to describe the combined impact of both the plant substances.
How To Store Live Resin
You should store live resin in a cool, air-tight jar in the refrigerator. This will protect the terpene content and preserve the smell and taste for a long time. Unfortunately, leaving resin uncovered will expose it to air, heat, or light, which can disintegrate the terpenes and affect flavor. This will also induce dryness and make the substance challenging to manage.
