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Download the What’s the Difference Between Resin & Rosin? PDF for a quick side-by-side breakdown of extraction methods, potency, pricing, and product differences.
TL;DR
Live resin and live rosin are both cannabis concentrates made from fresh-frozen flower to help preserve the plant’s natural terpene profile. The biggest difference is extraction: live resin uses solvents, while live rosin is made with heat, pressure, and ice water. Resin is often more affordable and potent, while rosin is typically solventless, terpene-rich, and more expensive.
Live Resin vs. Live Rosin
Buds, joints, edibles, vapes, topicals, tinctures, concentrates… America’s medical marijuana dispensaries offer so many options. And while smoked flower remains the most popular form of medical marijuana, concentrates containing live resin and live rosin are trending. If you are new to these cannabis products and want to learn more, CannaMD has the answers that can put you on the way to understanding and enjoying these relatively recently developed forms of cannabis concentrate.
Recent reporting from the Center for Disease Control shows that vaping concentrates now account for about 30% of all use, and dabbing adds another 15% to the mix. The numbers are even greater among patients in their 20s, with up to 40% preferring these methods of consumption. Dispensaries have responded to the growing popularity of concentrates, offering hundreds of new products labeled as “live resin” or “live rosin.” The primary difference between these two types of concentrates are in the way they are created, and to a lesser extent the user experience they provide.
Why are Resins & Rosins called “Live?”
In cannabis concentrates, the word “live” means the product was made using fresh-frozen plant material rather than traditionally dried and cured buds. Marijuana buds are filled with resin glands that contain a rich mixture of natural cannabinoids, terpenes, flavonoids and other phytonutrients. Drying, curing and distilling concentrates THC, CBD and certain other cannabinoids. This increases their potency, but also alters the chemical profile of the resin, degrading the overall phytonutrient mix while causing some secondary cannabinoids, many terpenes and other essential oils to evaporate or break down.
What Is Live Resin?
In the early 2010s, a Colorado cultivator developed a new way to preserve marijuana’s full-spectrum phytonutrients. The process involved flash freezing just-harvested cannabis buds at very low temperature. Testing shows that flash-freezing preserves up to 95% of the cannabis bud’s original terpene content.
The frozen buds are washed in a bath of chilled hydrocarbon solvents such as butane and propane. These solvents separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant material, while the extreme low temperatures prevents the phytonutrient degradation associated with heated drying methods. The resulting slurry is put through carefully-controlled evaporation processes, using vacuum ovens to remove the solvents. Once cleaned, the slurry is processed into the cannabinoid-rich syrups and pastes known as live resin.
The purity of live resins sold at medical marijuana dispensaries is regulated at the state level. Products labeled “solvent free” must contain no detectable traces of residual solvent. In addition, products must display a Certificate of Analysis from a third-party lab that verifies the purity and nature of the content.
What is Live Rosin?
Live Rosin also begins with fresh cannabis buds that are flash frozen to preserve the content. Instead of relying on solvents to separate cannabinoids and other phytonutrients from the buds, rosin production involves a mechanical process. Frozen buds are placed in an ice water bath and agitated to break up the small crystal-like resin glands known as trichomes. Filters are used to capture the fragmented trichomes, creating what is known as bubble hash. The hash is immediately dried using heat or freeze-drying techniques, and after excess moisture is removed it is pressed into rosin oil.
How To Use Live Resin & Live Rosin
Resin and rosin are consumed the same way, with dabbing being the most common option. For those new to cannabis concentrates, this involves a specialized water pipe known as a dab rig, which has a heated surface that vaporizes the resin or rosin. Rigs can be heated by torch, but a growing number of users prefer electric pipes with an adjustable heat source. Lower temperatures preserve the full terpene profile and flavor. Pens and wax vaporizers provide a more compact delivery platform for dabbing resins and rosins, which are loaded into a heated chamber. Another option is a nectar collector, which is a preheated glass straw that is dipped directly into the resin or rosin concentrate while inhaling.
Vape pens are another popular option for enjoying live resin and live rosin. Products packaged in standard 510-thread cartridges are compatible with most all vape batteries. Common advice for vaping with live resins and rosins is to use a vape pen with adjustable voltage to control the heat and ensure a “true-to-plant” taste. Because resins and rosins are thicker than distillate oils, experienced users also advise preheating cartridges and taking smaller draws to ensure proper wicking and prevent clogging. Vape pens used for rosins may require more frequent cleaning, as these products tend to be thicker than resins.
Topping, also known as waxing, is a less-common use of resins and rosins. It’s done by adding a small amount of product to a joint or atop bud or flower in a pipe or bowl to increase the potency of the mix.
Is Live Resin or Live Rosin Stronger?
Because they are both concentrates, resin and rosin deliver an enhanced dose of cannabinoids. Test results from ACS Laboratory indicate that live rosin may contain anywhere from 60 to 85% THC, while live resins peak at bit higher, with THC content falling between 65 and 90%. In general, live rosins tend to contain a slightly greater level of terpenes and a more broad-spectrum mix of minor cannabinoids. But when properly processed, both products can retain up to 40% of the cannabis plant’s original terpene profile.
The ability to retain a significant portion of the cannabis plant’s original terpene profile is a significant selling point for many medical marijuana patients. The aromas and flavors that cultivator’s craft into individual strains are preserved, along with potential benefits created by entourage effects.
Choosing Live Resin or Live Rosin
A survey of cannabis forums and social media provides some insights on why medical marijuana patients might prefer either resins or rosins. Individuals focused on consuming the purest possible product favor rosin for its solvent-free production process, and are willing to pay a premium for their choices. In general, live rosins retail for about twice the price of live resins. Many also feel that using live rosin delivers an effect more akin to smoked flower or bud, providing a more relaxed full-body high.
By contrast, live resins tend to pack a more direct and intense punch that is heavily cerebral with more pronounced psychoactive effects. Users also choose resin for its more cost-effective price point.
Do You Have Questions About Medical Marijuana?
If you are looking for information on cannabis therapies, CannaMD‘s state-certified network of medical marijuana doctors is here to answer questions and provide advice. Contact the CannaMD team at (855) 420-9170 today. Ready to get your card and purchase legal cannabis products? You can find out if you qualify for medical marijuana treatment with our quick online application!
