Live Resin Carts Vs. Normal Carts: Which One Is Better For You?

There are a ton of ways to consume cannabis today. But if you’re looking for a convenient and discreet way to use marijuana on the go, vaping takes the day.

While edibles such as gummies can also offer discretion, inhaling from quality vape carts allows you to experience the natural flavor and taste of weed.

Over the years, vaping has become very popular, significantly replacing blunts and joints due to its discreteness, potency, and ease of use.

Despite their widespread use, many questions regarding vape carts and pens still need to be answered. For instance, what sets one cart apart from another? Which oil is the best to vape? And, most importantly, what distinguishes live resin vape carts from normal ones?

This handy guide will explore the differences between live resin carts vs. normal carts, explaining what they are, how they are made, and what makes each one of them unique.  

WHAT ARE LIVE RESIN CARTS?

For those who don’t know, a vape cart, short for vape cartridge, is a glass tube that holds cannabis oil or other concentrates. Vape carts have an atomizer that is attached to a battery in order to heat and vaporize the contents of the carts, i.e., oils and concentrates.

Although it’s possible to buy empty vape carts to fill with your own concentrate, carts often come filled with various extracts such as THC distillates, full-spectrum oil, and, in our case, live resin.

To put it simply, a live resin cart is a type of cannabis cartridge that comes pre-filled with a concentrated form of cannabis extract known as live resin.  

Resin refers to the sticky, gooey, and aromatic substance found on the surface of cannabis buds and leaves. It’s known for its unparalleled richness in cannabinoids and terpenes, which are responsible for the distinct flavor and aroma of different marijuana cultivars.

Unlike other traditional concentrates, such as distillates made from dried and cured flowers, live resin is extracted from freshly harvested and flash-frozen cannabis buds. 

Why is this necessary?

By freezing freshly harvested flowers, we’re able to prevent the degradation of delicate terpenes and trichomes. This allows live resin concentrates to capture the full essence of the cannabis plant, from flavor to taste, aroma, smell, and effects.

ADVANTAGES OF LIVE RESIN CARTS

Here are some of the things that set live resin carts apart from regular carts:

1. ENHANCED FLAVOR AND AROMA

The cannabis plant has more than 100 terpenes. During the extraction of live resin, these terpenes, which include linalool, limonene, and pinene, are left intact, forming a complex flavor and aroma profile.

Live resin carts give you a more flavorful and aromatic experience, which mimics the scent and taste of the original cultivar.

This is not the case with normal vape carts, which often contain only one cannabinoid (in the case of distillates) and very little concentration of terpenes.

2. THE ENTOURAGE EFFECT

Another benefit of live resin carts is the entourage effect. This refers to all the cannabinoids, flavonoids, terpenes, and all other compounds found naturally in the cannabis plant working together synergistically to enhance each other’s effects.

Using plant alchemy and science, The Hemp Collect is able to freeze freshly harvested buds, preserving the plant’s whole natural essence. 

When vaped, live resins may provide a more well-rounded and balanced psychotropic effect, thanks to all the cannabinoids, natural terpenes, and healthy compounds from the source cultivar.  

3. AUTHENTIC STRAIN EXPERIENCE

Do you love the earthy undertones of an OG Kush cultivar? Or maybe you prefer the citrusy notes of a Lemon Haze?

Live resin is a magical true-to-plant concentrate that preserves all the unique and natural properties of the specific cultivar. This allows you to explore a wide range of flavors, effects, and aromas.

The Hemp Collect stocks a wide range of live resin carts, each with its unique profile terpene. This allows you to go for your desired cultivars and terpenes to experience the desired effects. 

Do you prefer the pungent and earthy aroma with hints of lemon and pine of OG KUSH? Or is it the tropical and fruity aroma of Pineapple KUSH? Whatever cultivar you prefer, you have the option to pick it!

WHAT ARE NORMAL CARTS?

Unlike live resin carts that use fresh and frozen buds, “normal” carts are usually made from dried and cured flowers.

The most common concentrates you’ll find in your regular vape carts are distillates. Just like the name suggests, cannabis flowers go through a rigorous distillation process that singles out desired cannabinoids.

This involves stripping away other cannabinoids, terpenes, and other tasty compounds, leaving behind the target cannabinoid only.

Distillates are, therefore, the purest form of concentrates you can find as they contain only one primary cannabinoid, with the most common being THC and CBD distillates.

Apart from live resin carts and distillate carts, you can also find live rosin carts. This is the closest to live resin carts, as they both use live cannabis plants.

However, unlike live resin, which is extracted using solvents such as butane and CO2, live rosin undergoes a solventless extraction. Instead, manufacturers press fresh frozen cannabis plants under heat and pressure to extract live rosin. 

The absence of chemical solvents in extraction makes live rosin one of the safest and cleanest cannabis extracts.

Other vape carts you’re likely to come across are full-spectrum extract vape carts. Full-spectrum carts aim to preserve a broad range of cannabinoids and not just the primary cannabinoid, as is the case with distillates. This means that instead of extracting only THC, for instance, manufacturers produce a concentrate that contains almost all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids of the mother cultivar. 

To avoid confusing full-spectrum extract for live resin, remember that the latter is made specifically from live flowers, meaning the bud was not dried or cured before the resin was extracted.

While all live resin concentrates are full-spectrum, not all full-spectrum extracts are live.

ADVANTAGES OF NORMAL CARTS

Even though the most common cartridges only contain THC or CBD, they have some qualities that you may find attractive.

Here are some of the pros of normal carts:

1. HIGH PURITY AND POTENCY

To make distillates, manufacturers strip all unwanted plant materials, cannabinoids, and terpenes, preserving only one cannabinoid. This results in a very potent concentrate, with some THC distillates with up to 99% THC purity, with no terpenes, plant matter, or non-psychotropic cannabinoids diluting its effects.

99% pure CBD distillate carts also exist for those seeking a non-psychotropic cannabinoid.

Most of our Delta-8 THC Distillates have a potency of between 85-95% Delta-8 THC while staying compliant with levels of Delta-9 THC under 0.3%.

If you’re looking for a cleaner, more potent vaping experience, then distillate carts are the best for you.

2. STANDARDIZED/ PREDICTABLE EFFECTS 

Due to the purity of distillate carts, you can easily expect consistent effects every time you vape. 

This may make it easier for you to control dosage and tail your consumption to your personal preference/expected results.

3. MILD FLAVOR AND SMELL

Assuming terpenes are not introduced later, pure distillates have little to no smell. Some people prefer concentrates with a milder flavor compared to live resin.

Pure distillate carts with no terpenes often have a neutral taste and smell, making them ideal for users who don’t enjoy strong cannabis flavors or those seeking to vape stealthily.

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN LIVE RESIN CARTRIDGES AND NORMAL CARTS?

The key difference between live resin carts and regular carts lies in their extraction process, terpene and cannabinoids profile, flavor, and overall vaping experience.

To make live resin, freshly harvested cannabis flowers are flash-frozen and then blasted with solvents. This helps produce a highly concentrated extract full of cannabinoids and all other compounds that exist naturally in the plant.

As a result, live resin carts allow you to enjoy the full spectrum of the cannabis plant, just like nature intended.

The extraction technique also helps preserve the plant terpenes, maintaining the cultivar’s natural smell, taste, and flavor in the final product. 

Because of its rich cannabinoid and terpene profile, live resin provides the entourage effect. This means that more compounds working together synergistically are better than one.

On the other hand, normal carts aim to extract only one cannabinoid. Cannabis flower is distilled to remove impurities and any other unwanted compounds, including terpenes. This results in a very pure and potent concentrate. 

Distillates lack a robust and natural terpene profile and, hence, may have a more neutral smell, taste, and flavor.

HOW TO CHOOSE WHICH CART IS BEST FOR YOU?

When looking for the best vape carts to buy, you should consider factors such as desired effects, flavor and aroma preference, potency, and, most importantly, quality.

If you would prefer to vape products that carry the whole essence of the cannabis plant, including all cannabinoids, terpenes, trichomes, and flavonoids, you should go for high-quality live resin carts.

The Hemp Collect is a brand on a mission to create the highest quality inputs and products for those we serve.

We make our products using organic raw materials sourced locally to ensure safety and quality are maintained.

All our products are rigorously tested by 3rd party lab results and come to you with certificates of analysis. This helps you know exactly what you’re buying.

For the best live resin carts, we welcome you to explore our selections.

For something non-psychotropic to vape on the go, buy our LIVE RESIN CBD DISPOSABLE: DAYTRIP.

If you would prefer some D-8 instead, try our LIVE RESIN DELTA 8 VAPE CARTRIDGE: DAYTRIP, LIVE RESIN DELTA-8 VAPE CARTRIDGE: ANYTIME, or LIVE RESIN DELTA-8 VAPE CARTRIDGE: KNOCKOUT. 

All our vape carts are made with ceramic coil and medical-grade components and contain no MCT, PG, VG, or PGE oil.

What’s more, you can choose your favorite cultivar and experience its unique flavor and terpene profile in all our live resin vape carts. 

HOW MUCH BETTER ARE LIVE RESIN CARTS?

As explained, the unique property that sets apart live resin carts from all other vape carts is the use of flowers that were flash-frozen immediately after harvesting.

This helps maintain their freshness and produces a concentrate that’s fully scented and flavored with the cannabis cultivar it was sourced from. 

While live resin may be potent in cannabinoids such as THC, the presence of terpenes and other compounds contributes to a balanced vaping experience.

This makes live resin carts way better than regular carts, which are often made using dried and cured flowers and only contain one primary cannabinoid and no terpenes. 

FINAL THOUGHTS ABOUT LIVE RESIN VAPE CARTS VS. NORMAL VAPE CARTS

Live resin carts may provide a unique and superior vaping experience compared to normal carts. 

Fresh, undried buds preserve all the phytochemicals, including terpenes, resulting in a more complex and distinct flavor and aroma profile.

Normal carts use dried and cured cannabis, hence lacking the rich cannabinoid and terpene profile of live resin.

To experience the natural flavor, taste, and effects of your favorite cultivar, life resin is your best bet. However, if you would prefer a pure and highly concentrated extract, go for distillate carts.

Whatever cart you go for, make sure to buy from the best cannabis company. The Hemp Collect has all that you need, and we are happy to fulfill all your orders. We are also here to guide you through identifying the best cannabis good for your needs, so feel free to talk to us.