Live resin is a cannabis concentrate that is quickly becoming a favorite of dabbers and vapers everywhere. Packed with natural cannabis flavors and cannabinoids, it is considered by many to one of the best concentrates on the market.
What’s The Deal With Live Resin?
After being harvested, a cannabis plant can go through many things that can alter its flavor or damage its natural terpene profile. By the time it’s finally ready to be used for extracting concentrates, the plant’s natural flavors and aromas may have already begun to fade.
For example, the curing process that most buds undergo after harvest can result in the destruction of as much as 60% of their natural terpenes. Moreover, depending on the concentrate being produced and the extraction process used, many more terpenes and other natural plant compounds may be lost before they ever make it to your dab rig.
Unlike other concentrates, live resin is extracted from plant matter that is immediately frozen after harvest, preserving as much of its natural terpenes as possible. As a result, it has a higher terpene content than other concentrates like shatter, rosin, or wax. It is loaded with much more of the natural flavors and aromas of the living cannabis plant, making for a much more enjoyable dabbing or vaping experience.
How Is Live Resin Made?
Live resin is one of the newest concentrates around. Its origins can be traced to 2012-2013 when a team of growers from Colorado pioneered the current live resin extraction process.
The process begins by flash freezing freshly harvested cannabis plant matter. This usually happens by either placing it in a freezer containing dry ice or by being slowly dipped into a container filled with liquid nitrogen. The plant matter is kept frozen right until it is ready for extraction. Usually, extraction takes place within 36 hours of the plant material thawing.
Most live resin is extracted using a simple process that is similar to that used to make most other concentrates. Plant material is passed through with a solvent which is then vaporized out of the final product. The main difference is that the solvent is cooled to -40℃/-40℉ for extraction. The final product is also purged of solvents at a much lower temperature than when making other concentrates.
However, not all live resin is produced this way. Some concentrate makers may modify the process in order to produce more unique products.
Shopping For Live Resin
Live resin concentrates are usually named after their form and viscosity. You can find live concentrates under names such as “sugar,” “sauce,” “sap,” “jelly,” “badder,” and “shatter.”
Most people prefer to dab or vape live concentrates. These consumption methods allow for better enjoyment of the concentrate’s terpenes – especially dabbing. By comparison, smoking live resin out of a bowl or joint is rather wasteful as many of the terpenes it contains are destroyed immediately by the high heat of fire.
You can also find these concentrates packed inside of pre-filled vape cartridges and pax era pods. Simply attach to a 510 battery thread or Pax Era vaporizer for maximum vaping convenience.
Looking to get your hands on some live concentrates? Check out our shop for a wide selection of cannabis concentrates!