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Cannabis concentrates are becoming more and more sophisticated. The diversity of options available allows consumers to choose what best suits their desired outcomes and lifestyles. Some of the options you can buy online in Canada include live concentrates. Live resin and live rosin are among these.
What exactly is a live concentrate, and how do these differ from other cannabis concentrates? Resin and rosin sound similar. Are they the same? If not, how do they differ? What benefits, if any, are there in selecting a live concentrate over cannabis flower?
In this post, we will explore these questions and more:
- The basics of live concentrates, including techniques used to make them
- Similarities and differences between live resin and live rosin
- Why choose one of these live concentrates over the other
What Are Live Concentrates?
Concentrates come in many forms these days. When you buy marijuana online, you will find various concentrates, from waxes, extracts, and oils, to budder, shatter, diamonds, and more. Live concentrates are different from other concentrates due to how they are extracted and processed.
Sometimes referred to as “cured concentrates,” non-live concentrates are dried or cured before they are extracted. This is done to remove excess moisture. Live concentrates, however, are extracted from live, fresh cannabis. Using this method preserves the terpenes from the live plant matter, giving the concentrate a fuller aroma and flavour.
With cannabis, each compound adds to the experience, referred to as the “entourage effect.” Leafly states, “Our bodies take in hundreds of botanical compounds. Each one arrives with unique effects and benefits, and their behaviour may change in the presence of other compounds. This is the entourage effect.”
Because of the extraction method used for live concentrates, consumers will experience a fuller entourage effect.
How Are Live Concentrates Extracts
Live concentrates are extracted from live plant matter, and all the cannabinoids and terpenes from the live plant are preserved. Both live resin and live rosin are processed using extreme temperatures. From here, the processing methods become vastly different.
How Live Resin is Extracted
At first glance, the cost of live resin may be the only visible difference from other concentrates you can buy online in Canada. The real difference is in what we don’t see, and that is the extraction method.
The cannabis is not decarboxylated (heated) during extraction and processing. This method freezes live plant matter to preserve the integrity of the full profile of cannabinoids and terpenes, giving the finished product a robust aroma and flavour.
First, the cannabis is harvested, and then the live plant matter is frozen to subzero temperatures.
Next, live concentrates are put through a butane hash oil (BHO) extractor at extremely low temperatures, and high-quality live concentrate production does not use stems or fan leaves. The resulting product is a sticky resin, and the remaining solvent is extracted with a pump or vacuum in a process called “closed-loop extraction.”
This method is considered dangerous and should only be done in a lab by professionals. Extraction, processing, and the necessary safety requirements drive this dark yellow concentrate’s cost a little higher than cured concentrates. It is well worth the rich aroma and taste.
Live resins are available in many forms that cannabis connoisseurs who buy concentrates online in Canada will recognize, such as saps, sugars, butters, and even shatters.
How Live Rosin is Extracted
Live rosin processing is solventless. It is safer to produce than live resin, as the process uses no chemicals. It does have a few extra steps, and the resulting concentrate also costs a bit more than other cured concentrates.
Live rosin is an artisan product because it is produced manually.
After harvesting, the live cannabis is frozen. This preserves the terpenes until the producer is ready to make the live rosin.
The frozen cannabis is put in a bath of water and ice. The trichomes, which contain the cannabinoids and terpenes, are removed from the plant during this stage.
Next, the removed trichomes are manually sifted to ensure all plant matter is removed. The trichomes are made into a full melt bubble hash, which is put into a freeze drier.
The producer creates live rosin from the dried bubble hash by pressing it through a rosin press.
The finished live rosin is a high-quality product that ranges from creamy to yellowish in colour with a full terpene profile, rich scent, and robust flavour.
What Are the Differences Between Live Resin and Live Rosin?
The resulting live concentrates are both potent and high quality.
They differ primarily in how they are processed. This difference between live resin and live rosin matters to consumers who buy marijuana online.
Live resin is extracted using the BHO method, which uses a chemical solvent. With a solvent, there is always a chance that toxic residue—in this case, butane—will remain in the finished product.
Live rosin, however, uses a solventless method, so there is no chance of finding any chemical solvent in the finished product. For that reason, live rosin is an excellent option for the more wellness-focused cannabis consumer.
Why Buy Live Concentrates Online in Canada?
There are some key differences between live and cured concentrates and differences between live resin and live rosin. While it’s not possible to smell a product you are viewing on a screen, there are some excellent benefits from choosing live concentrates.
The flavour and aroma of a full terpene profile both provide a well-rounded, enjoyable experience. With live concentrates, you need to be willing to pay a little extra. Live concentrates cost a bit more, and they are worth it! Think of them as a long-lasting treat because a little concentrate goes a long way.
What Are the Differences Between Live Resin and Live Rosin?
Overall, both of these live concentrates are potent and high quality. They are different products that are processed differently. Live rosin is considered healthier because it is a solventless concentrate, whereas live resin is a solvent-based concentrate.
Both offer a full “entourage effect” experience, and those who buy concentrates online in Canada will each have their own set of criteria when choosing what works best for them.
