What are Live Resins?
Live resins are type of cannabis concentrate, like wax or shatter, that is produced using a technique that takes freshly harvested cannabis and freezes it immediately and throughout the extraction process. They are higher in terpenes than other cannabis material. Terpenes are oils secreted by the cannabis plant that give each strain its unique taste and smell. One great thing about terpenes is that they are produced by the very same glands that produce THC and CBD. There are numerous types of terpenes. More than 100 of them have been identified to this day. Another amazing about terpenes is they have their own distinct medicinal property. There are terpenes made to cure anxiety, depression, insomnia, cancer, or nausea. Live resin is processed in a way that does not decarboxylate the cannabis plant. As result, you get better aromas, better flavors, and better medicinal effects.
Origin of Live Resin
Live resin originated in the fall of 2013 when William “Kind Bill” Fenger and entrepreneur EmoTek Labs founder “Giddy Up” joined forces to introduce live resin to the cannabis scene. Since 95% of the plant’s terpenes is lost from harvest through the final curing process, Fenger thought instead of processing the leaf a batch of butane hash oil not from dried buds or trim, it’s processed from a freshly harvested, flash-frozen whole plant. He thought that this could produce a concentrate with the terpene profile and pungency of a plant fresh from the garden. Later on, Fenger coined the term live resin.
Even though the process of making fresh frozen butane hash oil (BHO) started in 2011, the results weren’t as good as the ones Fenger and Giddy Up did later on. This is because they were using the open-blasting method. Open blasting takes place within a glass or metal tube and is a solvent-based extraction performed without a closed-loop system.
Similarities and Differences of Live Resin to other concentrates
Similarities:
- Making live resin is a lot similar to the creation of other concentrates such as wax, honey oil, and shatter. A solvent is forced through the the plant matter and extracts the chemicals from it. This includes THC, CBD, and terpenes,
- Live resin and concentrates have higher THC content than bud you might smoke or mix in edibles. They can have as much as 80-90% THC.
- They all have Butane as the most common solvent, which is why most concentrates are referred to as butane hash oil or BHO
Differences:
- The main difference is live resins have higher terpene level compared to other concentrates.
- The texture and consistency of live resin are different compared to other cannabis extracts. They have a very bright golden color and a very gooey and granular consistency.
- Prices for live resin is relatively higher compared to other concentrates. Mainly because it requires a full lab setup and trained technicians to produce it.
