What's the Tea on "Live Resin"?

The cannabis market is always coming up with something new and innovative in how THC is extracted and therefore consumed. When edibles popped on the market, everyone who wanted to try weed without having to smoke it, was all in. We went from brownies and cookies, to butters and oils, to candies and gummies. Then we figured out how to make it into juices and spices. I mean we are some pretty innovative people, are we not?

Then we went into concentrated extractions such as RSO and vaping. But now something relatively new has hit the market, something that dabbers have been into for a little while now.. Live Resin. Not only is it used in dabs rigs, and vaping cartridges but now Live Resin has made its way into edibles too.

But let's back up a bit. What in the heck is Live Resin? Glad you asked.

The 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 aromas and flavors may have already been altered or beginning to fade.

For example, the curing process that most buds undergo after harvest can result in the destruction of more than 50% of their natural terpenes. What exactly are terpenes? Terpenes are oils secreted by the cannabis plant that give each strain its unique taste and smell. There about 100 known terpenes in cannabis. Each and every one has its own distinct medicinal property. Moreover, depending on the concentrate being produced and the extraction process used, many more terpenes and other natural plant compounds may be lost before it ever makes it to your dab rig. Sometimes loss of terpenes means you are not getting the most out of your high. That is where Live Resin saves the day by maintaining terpenes and giving you a more potent and tasty high.

Live resin can be traced to 2012-2013 when a team of growers from Colorado pioneered the current live resin extraction process. 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, or a better tasting edible.

How Is Live Resin Different From Other Concentrates?

The biggest difference between live resin and other concentrates is terpene level. Live resin has a much higher terpene level than all other concentrate types. This difference can be as much as five times more by weight. Typically, though, the cold-extraction process necessary to produce live resin yields less actual product than other, more conventional extraction methods. With the cold-extraction process, you get less product but you trade that for a much higher terpene levels, what we like to call flavor profile.