Live Resin: What It Is, Uses, & Products to Buy

Live Resin: What It Is, Uses, & Products to Buy

Live resin is a type of cannabis oil that describes cannabis concentrates and extracts which are made from fresh, or “live”, cannabis plants. This means, unlike other types of cannabis oil, live resin is made from marijuana plant material that hasn’t been dried or cured.

Since with live resin, the terpenes or aromatic compounds in cannabis that make up its smells and tastes are preserved, it makes for a flavorful and potent marijuana concentrate. Both cannabis connoisseurs and newbies alike love it for this reason.


How is Live Resin Made?

When harvesting cannabis for live resin processing, whole plants are flash-frozen to best preserve desirable compounds called cannabinoids and terpenes. The plant material parts include fresh flower buds and sugar leaves, parts that are rich in trichomes. Trichomes are white frosty crystals that are a treasure trove of cannabinoids and terpenes.

During this flash-freezing extraction process, usually, the buds and leaves are placed in a freezer containing dry ice. Or they are slowly dipped into a container filled with liquid nitrogen. Flash freezing allows for the full effect and flavor of the original cannabis plant to be represented in the extract. As opposed to drying and curing cannabis flower, which often degrades trichomes, the freezing of the plant retains more of its original terpene profile.

The plant matter is kept frozen up until extraction and then is thawed. Once ready the plant is passed through with a solvent which is cooled to -40℃/-40℉. The live resin extraction is then purged of solvents but at a lower temperature than with other cannabis concentrates. Each live resin producer has its own way of carrying out this drying and curing process.


What Does Live Resin Look Like?

There are many different consistencies of live resin, the most common include shatter, sauce, sugar, budder, and HTE (high-terpene extract). These all differ vastly in texture, viscosity, and makeup. From solid diamonds and shatter, creamy white sugar, to golden liquid sauce and HTE. The consistency depends on the quality of input, strain, and manufacturing parameters.

Products with a more solid consistency tend to be higher in THC-A and other cannabinoids, whereas liquid products contain higher levels of terpenes. THCA is a precursor to THC and doesn’t have intoxicating effects. However, it has been found to have anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties among others.


How Do You Consume Live Resin?

If you are new to live resin it's best to take it slow. 1 gram of live resin concentrate can range from 75-95% THC! Many consumers prefer to dab it using a dab rig or terp pen. A dab rig is a type of water pipe with a flat bowl called a nail that can withstand high temperatures that you use to vaporize the concentrate.

Live resin can also be vaporized in a vape pen, which may be the simplest method of consuming it. Simply attach the cartridge onto a battery, activate the heating mechanism, and inhale the vapor. Live resin can even be sprinkled on a bowl of cannabis flower or wrapped around a pre-roll for an enhanced experience.


How to Store Live Resin

In general, it’s best to keep all live resin in a cool, dark place and away from heat, light, moisture, and air. Store-bought live resin for dabbing usually comes in glass jars with a plastic twist top so it’s airtight. The best containers are glass, which makes them easy to scoop. Or you can store live resin in medical-grade silicone jars.

It’s also wise to keep your airtight live resin container upright. This is especially true with saucy consistencies so it doesn’t get on the lid or seep out of the container. You can also store your live resin in its airtight container in a refrigerator to help preserve aroma and potency.


Purchasing Live Resin

We hope you now have a better understanding of what live resin is. This includes how this sought-after cannabis concentrate is made, how to consume it, and how to store it. And don’t forget to purchase live resin from an established brand and licensed dispensary.



Use of Marijuana Concentrate may lead to: Psychotic symptoms and/or Psychotic disorder (delusions, hallucinations, or difficulty distinguishing reality); Mental Health Symptoms/Problems; Cannabis Hyperemesis Syndrome (CHS) (uncontrolled and repetitive vomiting); Cannabis use disorder/dependence, including physical and psychological dependence.   Please consume responsibly. This product may cause impairment and may be habit forming. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product.  State laws impact what dispensaries can and can’t sell to recreational customers and medical marijuana patients. Not every type of product, consumption method, dosage form, or potency mentioned on this blog will be permitted in all locations. 

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