Here are the Differences Between Live Rosin Vs Live Resin

If you enjoy using cannabis products, you’ve likely heard of both live rosin vs live resin. These are concentrated cannabis products, each made in their own unique way. And, based on their consistency, they can deliver various effects. Now, we know that cannabis concentrates are in high demand, and you need to understand your options.  So, with that in mind, check out the differences between live rosin vs live resin.

What Is Live Rosin?

In the cannabis world, rosin is a process that involves extracting resinous sap, using both heat and pressure. The term actually comes from a completely different process which involved manufacturing violin bows with friction. So, that’s the term’s origin. But defining rosin can be difficult, since there’s lots of versatility involved with this product.

Here’s the deal: you can extract rosin from kief, hash, or marijuana flowers, converting it into a fully melted, translucent and somewhat sappy hash oil. It’s consumed through rosin dabs, and has the same potency and flavor as other forms of cannabis extract. Also, live rosin contains the full cannabis profile, meaning you’ll access all the terpenes and cannabinoids.

What Is Live Resin?

For many people, live resin represents the best of all concentrates. Because of its unique extraction process, it contains higher terpene levels. And, as a result, it offers more robust flavors and a distinct cannabis aroma.

Users also value live resin for its pure delivery method. When harvested from fresh hemp or marijuana, it’s flash frozen at low temperatures. This prevents terpenes from being burned off, which can happen with other extraction methods.

But there’s a catch. The extraction has to happen at nearly -300°F. For that reason, producing live resin is usually left to specially trained lab technicians. Because you need their expertise and equipment to achieve success.

Live Rosin Vs Live Resin

We know they sound similar, so its ok if your still confused about live rosin and live resin’s differences. Because, the truth is, they’re subtle.  But, at the core, live rosin and live resin are completely different products. And they’re distinguished by their manufacturing processes. So, to truly understand their core difference, you must first  understand what it means when we see each of these procedures are live.

What Does Live Mean with Concentrates?

When you first hear the term lives, it can be confusing. You may wonder if this is similar to products that use probiotics or live cultures. Or wonder, are you actually working with live plants?

Well, in the world of cannabis, live simply means that your plant source was freshly harvested. And that’s a big deal. Because, with other cannabis extracts, manufacturers don’t typically work with freshly harvested source material.  For example, when you make shatter or wax concentrates, they’re produced from materials that were cured or dried prior to processing. That’s because, if you work with cannabis flowers or buds, their cannabinoid contents are activated during that drying time. (We call this decarboxylation.)

Now, with those extracts, some terpenes stick around even after the moisture goes away. But others will go away. So, after curing for up to eight weeks, you’ll have a low moisture product that burns smoothly. And it will have an aromatic taste and flavor, because the plant’s chlorophyll breaks down during curing.

Still, those flavors can’t compare to a live plant extract. Because, thanks to the extraction process, nearly all of the terpenes are preserved. This gives you a stronger flavor and, in some cases, a more noticeable effect. So now you know what live means, let’s jump to the difference between the live rosin and live resin extraction process.

How Do You Extract Live Resin?

Live resin extraction leaves you with a product known as wax or shattered. These concentrates are easily extracted using hydrocarbon-based solvents, most often butane.

You may have heard of BHO, an extraction method where ground plant matter gets blasted under high pressure, using butane as a solvent. The final result is a sticky yellow or brown liquid. The sticky amber-colored concentrate preserves the terpenes and plant resins, and manufacturers remove the solvent through closed loop extraction.

This all takes place without oxygen, so the material may combust. Manufacturers also use a vacuum pump during this process, exclusively working with the highest quality resin, sugar leaves and fresh flower buds. That means they exclude stems and fan leaves entirely. In some cases, THC crystals go into the mix, creating a rougher texture. The end result? A product with a very pungent smell, that comes at a higher price, due to its potency. So that’s how we extract live resin. Now let’s explore live rosin.

What Process Gives Live Rosin?

This extraction process is relatively new. So, what’s the primary difference from live resin? Hydrocarbon extraction isn’t part of the process. There is a complete absence of chemicals and solvents which must be present when doing live resin extractions. Instead, rosin is taken from the plant matter using nothing but heat and pressure. This allows those producing this product to instantaneously obtain a resinous sap from kief, hash, or dry plant matter.

For those who are health-conscious, this would be the ideal choice, still providing very high amounts of terpenes. The THC levels in full melt hash oil is said to be one of the highest, plus it will have an extremely robust flavor. Essentially, those that favor rosin over resin enjoy it more because it is full-spectrum and chemical free. There is one final step that must be taken. This involves the creation of a full melt bubble hash. This is derived from fresh plant matter that is being used. It must be accomplished prior to pressing it to create the final concentrate. Despite this extra step, when comparing both of these products, you may not notice much of a difference. That being said, you may wonder how you can make a choice between live rosin versus live resin.

Live Rosin Vs Live Resin – Which One Is The Best Choice?

The one that you choose to use will be a personal choice. There are many reasons for favoring one over the other. For those that have used resin based concentrates their entire life, it is unlikely that they would want to switch over. On the other hand, people that are more health-conscious may choose to use this new extraction process that can be achieved through rosin extraction methods. When you look at both of these products, they are virtually identical in terms of the terpenes and the aroma of each one.

The main difference is that live resin is going to be based upon the use of solvents. Live rosin will not. Live resin can be extracted from either flash frozen plant matter, or fresh plant matter, using closed-loop recapture or BHO methodologies. For those that want something a little more complex in its production value, live rosin includes the creation of a full melt bubble hash. This must be done with the fresh plant matter prior to pressing to create the final product. In either case, since both can be rendered using fresh plant matter, there will be very little difference in the overall effect. Both will be enjoyable and flavorful concentrates of the highest level of quality. It is simply a personal choice once you understand the differences between live rosin vs live resin and the processes used to derive these high-grade cannabis products.