Cannabis Concentrates: Live Resin vs. Live Rosin – Which Is Better?

Live resin and live rosin are two types of cannabis concentrates that have become popular among users. Both live resin and live rosin are made from fresh frozen cannabis, but their processes and end products are quite different.  In this article, we will explore the similarities and differences between live resin and live rosin so you can choose which is best for your own needs.

Cannabis concentrates, more commonly known as dabs, THC extracts, or just plain concentrates, are a powerful form of marijuana extracted using various methods to tap into the psychoactive and therapeutic components of the cannabis plant. Most concentrates are consumed through an e-rig or nail, and we often refer to this as dabbing. For those unfamiliar with the world of cannabis concentrates, dabbing entails vaporizing THC concentrates on a hot surface and then inhaling the resulting vapor through a dab rig or vaporizer.

As the name implies, live resin is extracted from live cannabis buds that have not gone through the traditional curing and drying process.

For those who don’t know, resin is the sticky, gooey substance produced by the trichomes of the cannabis plant. Resin is highly concentrated with chemical compounds found naturally in the cannabis plant, including cannabinoids and terpenes.

Live resin aims to preserve all the psychotropic and therapeutic compounds in their natural form.

To do this, the extraction of live resin starts immediately after harvest. 

The buds are harvested when they are at their peak freshness and potency, usually just before or during their flowering stage. The freshly harvested flowers are immediately frozen to extremely low temperatures. The freezing of fresh buds is necessary to preserve the plant’s terpenes and cannabinoids in their natural state.

Once frozen, the cannabis plants are blasted with hydrocarbon solvents such as propane or butane, which help extract the resin-rich trichomes from the plant matter.

The extract is then purged to remove any remaining solvent or impurities.

Results?

A highly purified, potent, and aromatic concentrate, filled with all the richness,  fresh flavor, aroma, and effects of the cultivar it was sourced from. 

You may ask yourself, how does live resin differ from dried resin, and why does this matter?

Most concentrates on the market are made using dried and cured resin. Cured resin is extracted from mature cannabis buds that have been dried to reduce their moisture content. 

Apart from losing moisture and chlorophyll, curing buds also causes most of the natural plant terpenes to degrade. This results in a mild or less pronounced flavor profile compared to live resin, which retains the natural taste of the cannabis plant it was derived from.

Like live resin, live rosin is extracted from freshly frozen cannabis buds. However, unlike live resin, which relies on solvents to extract the concentrate, live rosin involves applying heat and pressure to fresh flowers, kief, or hash to separate the resin from the plant. 

We also want to point out that live rosin is different from rosin. Although they are both solventless and made by applying heat and pressure to cannabis plant matter, live rosin is specifically made from fresh cannabis buds. On the other hand, rosin is extracted from dried flowers.

It’s important to make this distinction because live rosin tends to preserve most of the plant's cannabinoids and terpenes, making it one of the best, close-to-plant concentrates on the market.

Alright, before we put these two cannabis products to the test, let's take a look at the similarities between live rosin and live resin.

• Tools: Both live rosin and resin are considered cannabis extracts (concentrates) and can, therefore, be used in a similar manner (dab rig).
• Potency: Both these cannabis products come from a frozen marijuana bud; hence, they both are going to elicit fairly potent effects!

Now, to the good stuff, live resin vs live rosin, what's the difference between the two?

• Is live rosin more expensive than live resin? It's not shocking that live rosin costs more than live resin since the live rosin process requires more effort and results in a much purer solventless product.
• Live rosin vs live resin: What tastes better? Sure, they both taste delicious! Still, some cannabis users think that live resin, which keeps the whole range of a plant's native terpenes and cannabinoids, has a more superior flavor.
• What's more potent? Live resin or rosin? Cannabis live resin is more potent than rosin because it is made with fresh, frozen cannabis flowers instead of dried and cured buds. Fresh cannabis retains more of its terpenes and cannabinoids, resulting in a much more potent and flavorful extract.

Both live resin and rosin can be consumed using various methods. Some common ways to enjoy these concentrates include:

You can dab both live resin and rosin using specialized dab rigs designed for concentrates. Dabbing is a straightforward method that involves placing a small amount of live rosin or live resin on a dab nail (heated surface), and then inhaling the vapor. 

You probably already know how to dab, but here’s a quick step-by-step guide:

• Heat the banger/nail: You’ll need a dab rig, which usually consists of a glass water pipe and a banger or nail. The nail, typically made of titanium, quartz, or ceramic, is heated using a blowtorch until it reaches the desired temperatures.
• Apply live resin/rosin: Once the desired temperatures are achieved, apply a small amount of concentrate on the heated surface.
• Inhale: Once the live resin/rosin comes into contact with the hot surface, it instantly vaporizes, becoming a flavorful and fresh vapor. Use the dab rig’s mouthpiece to inhale this vapor to experience almost immediate effects.

One of the most important things to note when dabbing is that extremely high temperatures can degrade the preserved plant terpenes, beating the whole idea of using freshly frozen buds.

Therefore, you should dab at low temperatures (between 350 and 550 °F). 

Another popular way to take live resin and rosin is through vaping. Vaping these two concentrates at low temperatures helps preserve the natural terpenes and cannabinoids present, resulting in a clean, potent, and flavorful experience. 

Vaping is also ideal for discreteness as vape pens are easy to carry and use on the go and produce less odor than smoking. 

The Hemp Collect even stocks live resin carts - cartridges that are already pre-filled with live resin extract. You can pick from various cultivars to give the desired flavor, aroma, taste, effects, etc.

Live resin carts are the easiest to use as you only need to attach them to your battery and inhale.

Both live rosin and resin can be added to weed flowers in joints or bowls to enhance the potency and flavor of the smoking experience. However, more heat is produced during smoking; hence, this method may not preserve the same level of terpenes as is the case in vaping and dabbing.

If you want to get more creative, you can infuse your live resin or rosin extract into foods to make edibles. However, remember that compounds such as THCa in your live resin require decarboxylation to become activated.

The Hemp Collect sells live resin-infused gummies, soft gels, caramels, etc., if you would prefer to avoid the hassle of making edibles yourself.

Unlike vaping, dabbing, and smoking, where effects are experienced almost instantly, edibles take longer to kick in. This is because they must be broken down during digestion before the cannabinoids can enter the bloodstream. 

It’s, therefore, important that you pace your consumption to avoid overdosing. Start with a small portion and wait for at least one to two hours before taking more edibles.

While not common, live resin and rosin concentrates can be used to create topical products such as balms or creams for localized application on the skin.

Now that we know what live resin is let’s look at some common live resin products/types you can buy online.

Live resin sauce is a highly potent cannabis concentrate consisting of THCa crystals and High Terpene Extract (HTE).

The transparent crystals, suspended in an amber-brown viscous liquid, give live resin sauce a unique and appealing appearance. 

But that’s not all.

The High Terpene Extract (the liquid portion of live resin sauce) is prized for its high terpene concentration. On the other hand, the THCa crystals are the precursor to THC, the most psychotropic cannabinoid in cannabis. THCa undergoes a decarboxylation process, which unlocks its potent and unparalleled psychotropic properties.

This combination of terpenes and THC offers users a truly remarkable experience: a potent yet aromatic and flavorful concentrate.

Live resin diamonds are the THCa crystals we mentioned above. They form when the live resin is put under specific pressure and temperature conditions for several weeks, allowing the THCa crystals to separate and sink on the bottom of the storage container. 

The remaining viscous portion of live resin is rich in terpenes (the live resin sauce) and is left on the top. The sauce is then poured, leaving behind THCa-rich diamonds. 

The live resin sauce is often later re-introduced to the diamond crystals, creating a perfect harmony of cannabinoid potency and fresh flavor of terpenes.

Diamond live resin offers a highly potent and flavorful experience, as they retains the natural terpenes and cannabinoids found in the fresh cannabis plant.

Also known as batter, live resin badder is a type of live resin that has a soft, creamy, and badder-like consistency.

To make live resin badder, manufacturers agitate or whip live resin, introducing air. This helps produce a smooth and easy-to-handle texture.

Like all other live resin products, badder retains the properties of the source cultivar, including terpenes and cannabinoids.

Live resin carts or cartridges are vape carts that have been pre-filled with live resin. These carts are designed to be used with vaporizers specifically compatible with concentrates.

Live resin carts offer a convenient, discreet, and easy way to consume live resin, giving you a flavorful and potent vaping experience on the go.

Another favorite live resin product is live resin sugar. This concentrate has a grainy, sugar-like texture that resembles sugar particles dipped in a viscous fluid like honey.  

Like all the other live resin goods we discussed above, live resin sugar is highly potent and features a rich terpene profile reminiscent of its mother cultivar.

These are just some of the many love resin products available in the market today. The Hemp Collect has a wide range of live resin goods, including Delta-8 Live Resin, CBD Live Resin, Live Resin Pods, Live Resin Disposable, etc. Head to our online store and see for yourself!

Both live resin and rosin are highly potent concentrates. If you’re new to using them or are unsure of your tolerance, it’s advisable to start with the lowest possible dose and then gradually increase your consumption to meet the desired effects.

When dabbing, for example, start with a very small amount of live resin or rosin. Wait for about 30 minutes before taking more. 

The same case with vaping. Set your device to the lowest heat, then take short inhales and give it some time before inhaling again. Remember, it may take a few minutes before you start to experience the full effect of your concentrates. Taking it slow allows you to gauge your reaction to the product and adjust your dosage accordingly.

Follow the manufacturer’s dosage guideline for edibles, or even play safer and start with half the recommended dosage. This is because some manufacturers may mislabel their products or give inaccurate dosage guidelines. 

Generally, the best way to determine the right dosage for any cannabis product is to start slow and then increase your uptake over time.

So what's better, live rosin or resin? Well, at the end of the day, the difference between live resin and rosin lies mostly with the manufacturing process. So, when it comes to asking ourselves what's better, well, this is a matter of personal preference. Live resin is made by freezing the cannabis plant and extracting the essential oils without any heat.

Live rosin is made by pressing fresh frozen flowers with heat and pressure to extract the essential oils. Both products offer an intense terpene profile, but they do have some differences. Live resin tends to be more flavorful and aromatic, while live rosin is more potent due to the higher concentration of cannabinoids. Ultimately, it comes down to what you prefer. To make the best choice for your own needs, it is important to understand all of the similarities and differences between these two types of cannabis concentrates. Try both live resin and live rosin today and see which one is right for you!

Tired of settling for sub-par live resin and live rosin? Look no further! Hemp Collect has you covered! We guarantee that our live resin products are truly top-notch – ideal for cannabis connoisseurs seeking the ultimate high. Here at Hemp Collect, we take pride in delivering cannabis products that you can rely on. Check out Hemp Collects Best Live Resin Collection for yourself!