Live Resin vs Cannabis Extract: What's the Difference?

Sandra Asked

What is vape oil that is alive?

Answer

What Is Live Resin?

Live resin is a type of cannabis concentrate that is very popular among consumers. Many people believe that live resin provides an experience similar to what you get from smoking cannabis flower in its most natural state. This is because live resin preserves more chemicals that contribute to the aroma and overall flavor of cannabis 

So what makes live resin live resin? The distinguishing feature of live resin is the extraction process through which it's made. 

How Is Live Resin Made?

Manufacturing live resin involves freezing freshly harvested cannabis, and then extracting all the oil from the frozen plant material. The plant material is frozen to capture and retain high concentrations of volatile compounds such as terpenes. Terpenes are responsible for the flavors and distinct scents associated with the cannabis plant.

The process requires freshly harvested cannabis. Otherwise, it isn't easy to achieve the end goal. Once the freshly harvested cannabis is obtained, it is frozen, and once it's frozen, the cannabis material is extracted using a solvent such as butane or propane. While the freezing process is great for preserving terpenes, it also preserves the high water content in the plant making it less suitable for more preferred solvents like sub-critical or super-critical CO2. 

Temperatures are kept low during the extraction process. It's the low temperature that helps preserve the delicate, volatile compounds, such as myrcene and linalool. As a result, the final product offers a robust and authentic representation of the cannabinoid and terpene profile of the original cannabis strain.

Typically, live resins have a very sticky, viscous consistency due to the high terpene content. This high ratio of terpenes distinguishes live resin from other types of cannabis concentrates.

Does Live Resin Have Different Medicinal Properties?

Because live resin has a higher concentration of terpenes, it could very well have different therapeutic effects compared to more traditional extracts. However, this has not been well-researched yet. In fact, some research suggests that increasing the concentration of terpenes in an extract might be a bad thing and could produce more hazardous compounds when the extract gets heated up for vaporization. 

So while live resin might be great for preserving the natural aroma and flavor of cannabis flower, it's too soon to say if live resin has any therapeutic advantages over other extracts. There might be added health risks associated with heating and inhaling extracts with higher concentrations of terpenes.

Furthermore, if the solvent used to make the live resin is not eliminated properly, residual butane or propane could remain in the final product. This could be harmful and toxic when inhaled/ingested over a long period of time. 

Final Words

Live resin is a type of cannabis concentrate that is quite popular among cannabis enthusiasts. To produce live resin, fresh cannabis is frozen before it is extracted and this leads to higher concentrations of terpenes in the end product. Many consumers believe that live resin provides a more authentic representation of their favorite cannabis strains. However, the production of live resin involves the use of solvents like butane or propane which can be harmful if not properly removed from the end product correctly.