What’s the difference between live rosin and live resin?

Now that we are well into the age of vapes, carts, dabs, and concentrates, even seasoned cannabis users might find themselves lost across all of the variety.

Some products seem even too close to differentiate just by name — i.e., rosin and resin.

We put together this guide on rosin vs. resin to help users better understand each of these concentrates and, at the very least, be able to tell them apart.

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The Main Difference Between Live Resin and Live Rosin: Extraction Process

The main difference between live resin and live rosin is in the extraction process it takes to make each.

How Live Resin Is Made

Live resin is made with flash-frozen fresh cannabis plants.

From there, lab professionals use hydrocarbon solvents like butane, propane, or ethanol to dissolve the trichomes and extract resin from the plant material.

Lab professionals can separate the resin from the plant by chilling solvents with the frozen plant material at -40°C or below in a closed-loop extraction process.

From there, they purge residual solvents using a tool like a vacuum oven while maintaining care to preserve terpenes and cannabinoids.

The lab professionals can then crystalize the live resin and package the end product into disposable vapes, carts, waxes, and oils for tinctures, pens, dabs, and more.

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How Live Rosin Is Made

The process of making live rosin is a little bit different.

The main variation is that while live resin consists of a full-spectrum resin that’s been extracted from the cannabis plant, rosin is made from compressed hash.

The first step to making live rosin is to freeze fresh cannabis leaves.

From there, lab professionals use extractors and washers to convert the cannabis into bubble hash.

After filtering and freeze-drying the hash, they can then press it into a live rosin concentrate.

This piece from Pure Pressure details how to source and use micron bags, rinsing and freezing cannabis, and the rosin-pressing process.

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Live Resin vs Live Rosin: 5 Key Differences

To really understand the nuances and individuality of each of these popular forms of cannabis concentrate, check out these main differentiating factors.

1. The Extraction Process

As we explained above, the live resin extraction process features a closed-loop extraction method that uses solvents to separate the resin from the plants.

Live rosin, alternatively, washes the cannabis into bubble hash and then presses that product into the live resin concentrate.

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2. The Presence of Chemicals

Live resin’s extraction process features the use of solvents like butane and propane.

Live rosin’s solventless extraction process is part of its appeal to cannabis purists who prefer cannabis rosin that has a chemical-free backstory.

However, it is important to remember that butane and propane are removed from the finished live resin product prior to consumption.

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3. General Cost

Creating butane hash oil to make live resin is a process that cannabis companies can scale more affordably than pressing hash for rosin products.

Partially due to its less labor-intensive process, live resin is generally more affordable than live rosin.

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4. Flavor and Terpene Profiles

When looking at the flavors of rosin vs live resin, it’s important to note that each offers a richer and more robust taste than many other types of concentrates you can find.

Because of its solventless extraction process, live rosin has a higher level of terpene content, and so its flavors are known to more closely resemble plant matter.

On the flip side, live resin’s slightly more refined design allows for a smooth pull that’s still rich with most of the flavors and aromas you’ll find in rosin products.

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5. Strength and Potency

The jury is out on whether or not live rosin is stronger than live resin or vice versa.

From our experience, the psychoactive effects are similar and often indistinguishable. Live rosin’s flavor leans closer to hash, while live resin leans closer to cannabis flowers.

The internet seems split between a few arguments.

One suggests that “live resin tends to be slightly more potent than live rosin.”

Other schools of thought argue that live rosin features more cannabinoids and terpenes and potentially delivers a stronger entourage effect.

Live rosin gets the nod for having stronger flavors from cannabis users across the web because of its more voluminous terpene profile.

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FAQs on Live Resin

Q: Is live resin stronger than distillate?

A: Strength is relative when you’re comparing live resin and distillate.

On one hand, live resin has more to offer in terms of entourage effects, considering its more full-bodied design.

On the other hand, distillate is made to offer a high, near-pure concentration of a single cannabinoid — most commonly Delta-9 THC or THCa. So when focused on the effects of that cannabinoid, distillate is more potent.

Q: How is live resin different than distillate?

A: Live resin and distillate arguably have more in common than live rosin because their production processes are similar.

Live resin and distillate both require a flash-freezing process and solvent-based extraction methods.

They differ in their focus and intent. Live resin represents more of the cannabis plant, often featuring a blend of different cannabinoids and terpenes.

Distillates are developed to feature high concentrations of a single cannabinoid. For example, a distillate will often be over 90% Delta-9 THC or THCa.

Q: Does live resin have butane in it?

A: We touched on this above, but the live resin final product in your vape cartridge should not contain butane or propane.

It should be removed from the finished product before being made available for consumption.

Finding cannabis products that are transparent about their means of production is a must when trying to ensure quality as a consumer.

That’s why Mood shares information on our growers, flowers, gummies, and more.

Additionally, every Mood product is tested by third-party labs to ensure it meets federal legal and health standards.

Q: Should live resin be clear or dark?

A: Live resin should have a thicker, more viscous look with brown, amber, and golden colors.

This can be attributed to the rich blend of trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids preserved through the live-resin extraction process.

Clear cannabis oil isn’t really associated with live resin or live rosin and might be a sign that it’s actually a distillate.

Q: Does live resin smell?

A: Because live resin is extracted with a solvent-based process designed to preserve terpenes and cannabinoids, it gives off the smell of other cannabis products when smoked or used in vaporizers.

Of course, you can avoid the smell of cannabis products and still kick back with the same enjoyable effects by turning to edibles like baked treats and gummies.

Check out Mood’s selection of powerful, mouthwatering cannabis gummies today.

FAQs on Live Rosin

Q: Is live rosin stronger than live resin?

A: We touched on this above, but live rosin and live resin are just as strong as each other.

While live rosin’s solventless extraction process can suggest a more robust terpene profile and cannabinoid count, live resin still represents a full-bodied extract with strong entourage effects.

We will also add here that the strength and potency of any cannabis product will always have a lot to do with its design, manufacturing, and the hemp plant it derives from.

For strong, quality cannabis products, opt to buy from providers who are transparent about their process, cultivation, and methods.

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Q: Is live rosin better than distillate?

A: This is another case of personal preference overtaking any definitive facts.

Just to reiterate their differences — live rosin should maintain the dynamic of the whole cannabis plant with the preservation of its diverse range of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Distillate is the product of a closed-loop extraction process that separates a high-concentration cannabis oil from the rest of the plant matter. While live rosin offers a range of cannabinoids, distillate is often over 90 percent Delta-9 THC, THCa, or CBD.

Q: Does live rosin have to be refrigerated?

Refrigerating your live rosin is known to increase its shelf life significantly.

Keeping hash rosin cold in the refrigerator can help preserve as many terpenes as possible, ensuring you can enjoy the wide range of flavors and aromas that make live rosin so popular in the first place.

Q: Can live rosin go bad?

Live rosin will stay fresh in your hose for about a week. According to URSA Extracts, refrigerating it can extend its shelf life by up to a year.

Q: What should live rosin look like?

Live rosin in your vape cartridge often turns dark amber, making it tough to distinguish from many live resin products.

When you see hash rosin in its purest wax form — often in a tincture or jar — it can have a lighter yellow coloring that’s less intense than the dark orange look of live resin wax.

Q: What’s cured resin?

While live resin is made from flash-frozen cannabis plants, the curing process requires drying cannabis flowers, which can also preserve the many flavors and cannabinoids in there.

Cured resin can come in the form of crumble, wax, and shatter like its live resin and rosin cannabis oil products. Cured resin is also known for its rich and deep flavor profiles.

Alternatives to Live Resin and Live Rosin

When cannabis users are on the hunt for alternatives to live resin and live rosin, it’s worth looking into all of the different variations that exist out there.

For example, you can find carts that are filled with liquid diamonds, a high-end cannabis concentrate.

You can also pick up your own liquid diamonds to enjoy with a refillable vape pen or on some cannabis flowers.

Featuring nearly 98% THCa, these THCa Diamonds are available for $55 per gram at the Mood Shop.

Distillate carts are the main alternative to live resin and live rosin in dispensaries and online.

Designed to deliver a more focused potency towards one cannabinoid, they represent one of the more singular cannabis extracts you can find on the market.

Moonrocks are another fun alternative for those who are lost in the battle of live rosin vs live resin.

These concentrate cocktails begin with a base core of cannabis flowers that are then covered in sticky, gooey distillate and then covered again with potent kief.

Get an eighth of these THCa Moonrocks for just $49 from the Mood Shop.

Cannabis connoisseurs tend to appreciate variety, which is why dabbling with different concentrates that can go with your vaporizers or your bongs is the best way to discover your favorites.

Browse our delicious and potent selection of Cannabis Concentrates at the Mood Shop today.

Vapes and Concentrates From The Mood Shop

Are you looking for a new vape pen or badder for your dab rig?

Discover a range of live resin, oils, waxes, and concentrates at the Mood Shop today.

Classic Hash

Featuring a profile that’s 63.26% THCa — Mood’s rich and flavorful hash gives users a delicious and affordable taste of live rosin’s parent concentrate. Our Classic Hash is rated an impressive 4.9/5 stars on the Mood Shop.

Get 1.5g of Classic Hash for $46 from the Mood Shop. Subscribe and save 15%.

An OG Disposable Vape

Designed to help users embrace their social selves, this vape features a live resin blend of THCa and CBD that delivers a balanced high. Like all of Mood’s vape products, its oil comes from American-grown hemp.

Get a 1g THCa Lemon OG Disposable Vape for $60 from the Mood Shop today. Subscribe and save 15 percent.

High-THCa Dab Badder

For those who enjoy a more THC-forward, distillate-like extract, this dab badder is for you. Designed with a buttery consistency that makes it favorable to dab, vape, or smoke — this concentrate has been billed as great for dance parties and beach days.

Get 2g of THCa Tropical Storm Dab Badder for $89 from the Mood Shop. Subscribe and save 15 percent.

Check out more hemp-derived products at Mood, an trusted online dispensary.

Prices subject to change.