The Ultimate Guide to Live Resin

Live Resin

Live resin is quickly becoming a favorite among dabbers and vapers. Packed with cannabis terpenes and cannabinoids, it is considered by many as the holy grail of cannabis concentrates. But what exactly is live resin, how can it be used – and why is it so ever-popular? Let’s take a look.

What Makes Live Resin So Special?

Following harvest, a cannabis plant must be taken care of on extreme levels, otherwise, its flavor and natural terpene profile may be altered. The goodness and liveliness of the plant must be kept alive, so to speak. By the time cannabis flowers are ready to be extracted, they must have retained all of their goodness before they ever make it to your dab rig.

With that said, it’s important to note that resin is unlike other concentrates. Live resin is extracted from plant matter that is immediately frozen after harvest.

In this manner, most of the plant’s natural terpenes are salvaged, and as a result, live resin has a more much more complex terpene content than other concentrates like shatter, rosin, and wax. Speaking of which, let’s differentiate it even further…

The Difference Between Resin, Rosin, and Live Resin

Resin is defined as a sticky ooze that certain plants such as cannabis exude in different ways. Resin contains the active chemistry that identifies the plant itself and differentiates it from others. In particular, resin circulates those highly valued cannabinoids. Anything resinous will stick to your fingers when you handle it. Resin is popularly collected to make the finest of hashish.

Regarding cannabis rosin, the main thing to mention is that it’s produced under a lot of heat and physical pressure. The former is applied to dried buds between sheets of parchment paper, and melts and squeezes the trichomes like grilled cheese. The result, when finished, is rosin, or honey-colored shatter.

Live resin is the product of freezing – as opposed to heating. Freshly harvested buds are flash-frozen immediately without curing or drying. The result is a product with an abundance of cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids in a concentrated form. When made with solvents, it may lose some of its natural ingredients, though…

How Live Resin is Created

Live Resin can be dated back to 2012-2013 when a team of Colorado growers pioneered the extraction process. As briefly mentioned before, the process begins by flash freezing fresh cannabis, by placing it in a freezer with dry ice or by being slowly dipped in liquid nitrogen.

The plant matter is then kept frozen until it is ready for extraction, which usually takes place within 36 hours. Live resin is then extracted using a process that is similar to the one used to make other concentrates. The precious plant material is sometimes ran through solvent which is then vaporized when the product is finally consumed.

The main difference in this process when compared to the process used for making other concentrates, is yet again, that the solvent is cooled down for extraction. The final product is then expelled of solvents at a much lower temperature than with other concentrates. Live resin really is cool – for all intents and purposes.

Consumption Methods

Live Resin is a concentrate. The most popular way to consume it is dabbing. Dabbing is where you place the concentrate on a heated bowl and inhale the vapor. Vaping is another form for consuming live resin. Lets dig into each one a little deeper.

• Vaping

Vaping is very much possible with live resin. You can either use a vape pen or a nectar collector to do this. Vapes use the same method as heating the coil and vaporizing the concentrate as the dab rig does. Although dabbing (below) is generally more popular, vaping is still a viable option for all vapers out there.

In addition to a regular vape, you can choose the hassle-free way and use a live resin cartridge and enjoy – as this is by far the easiest method. Simply buy a live resin cart, attach it to your battery, and you’re ready to go!

• Dabbing

To dab the concentrates, you need a special piece of equipment known as a dab rig. A dab rig is basically a water pipe with a flat bowl called a nail. The nail is constructed from material able to withstand very high temperatures – which is very different to using glass bowls which are used with bongs to smoke flowers.

A dabber or dabbing tool is used to handle the concentrate and place it on a hot nail. For live resin, it is however advised to use a spoon-shaped tip tool instead of a flat-tipped dabber. Then, heat the nail with a lighter, typically butane lighters. It is important to note that only a very hot nail will do the job to burn the live resin.

The optimal temperature to dab is usually between 320- and 400-degrees Fahrenheit or 205 degrees Celsius. Once the heated nail is ready, you can scoop the live resin using a dabbing tool, and place it on the heated nail. Once its vaporized, it’s the perfect time to inhale it from the mouthpiece.

All Things Considered

The process whereby live resin is produced produces highly potent cannabis brittle with minimal plant material and solvent traces. One might say that the resin is alive, hence the term ‘live resin’! However, it’s unfortunately not recommended to make it at home. Most people do not have the tools or skills to do it safely and properly. So, leave it for the pros.

Get your dose of live resin from a dispensary or online, and enjoy a recreational experience or the particular medical benefits you want. Remember that lab-tested products always offer more security without compromising the power!