The Benefits of Live Resin Extraction

Have you ever thought, “Wow, this product would be so much better if it only had the good stuff in it—the terpenes and cannabinoids?” Well, that’s precisely what live resin extraction aims to achieve.

And you wouldn’t be alone in loving this offering. Concentrate sales grew by 40% in 2020 alone.

But what is live resin, how is it made, and, most importantly, is it worth the extra dollars? Read on to find out.

There Are Various Types to Choose From

You may have heard of live resin, but you’re not sure exactly what it looks like or what form it comes in. While there are some unique forms of live resin, you’ll likely already be familiar with others.

The forms include:

• Carts for vape pens (for example, learn more about Moxi carts here)
• Dab pens for heating many forms of cannabis
• Sauce
• Crumbles
• Sugar
• Butters and badders
• Shatter—kind of like peanut brittle

While most of these forms have similar amounts of the good stuff (i.e., terpenes and cannabinoids), they can burn off a bit during the making of shatter. This means shatter may be slightly less potent.

The Production Process Makes It Extra Fancy

You must be a true cannabis expert to extract live resin—and own a boatload of specialized equipment. This complex process makes the product unique and preserves those precious terpenes.

In fact, manufacturers aim to preserve as much of the plant as possible.

The steps to extracting live resin include:

• Harvest the cannabis plant—it needs to be as fresh as possible
• Freeze the plants immediately—a process called flash-freezing
• Extract the desirable compounds: THC, CBD, and terpenes
• Distill the concentrate by mixing it with solvent and passing it through a series of chambers

You can then process the concentrate into any one of the products listed above.

Product Quality (and Price) Is High

Since it’s so difficult to produce these specialized cannabis extracts, you tend to end up with a high-quality product. It tastes better and is more likely to result in the desirable entourage effect—where you feel only the “fun” and happy elements of a cannabis high due to the CBD and terpenes working synergistically.

Of course, this also means you’ll likely have to shell out more money for live resin than other cannabis products.

It Smells Stronger

This could be a benefit or a downside, depending on your preference. But for those who truly love everything about cannabis culture, an extra stinky smoke might be what tips you over the edge.

And live resin cartridges—or any form of live resin, really—smell more than other forms of marijuana due to the higher quantity of natural terpenes.

Why Live Resin Extraction Creates a Premium Cannabis Product

Live resin extraction is a complicated process, raising the price tag significantly on live resin products. However, many claim the process boosts the taste and medical benefits of marijuana.

Is the high price worth it? Only you can decide.

We will say that if you value a premium smoke or partake for the therapeutic benefits, you might want to invest. But if you’re only in it to get as high as possible, live resin might not be for you.

For more informative articles on all things cannabis, read the other blogs on our website.