Checking out new consumption methods, products and strains is always an exciting part of visiting the cannabis dispensary.
While I prefer smoking dried flower and vaping distillate, I am willing to try most anything.
I know that experimentation is the best way to find new favorites. Distillate is a cannabis extract designed to use in vape pens. There are an abundance of extracts that offer different benefits. Just recently, I got introduced to live resin. I was surprised by the difference between the two concentrates. Live resin is extracted from fresh cannabis flowers. When harvested at peak season, the flowers are flash-frozen to preserve as many of the trichomes as possible. The plants are kept frozen during the entire extraction process, eliminating drying, curing and trimming stages. When the plant is exposed to heat, light and oxygen, the trichomes are broken down. The trichomes are probably the most desirable component of the plant. They are where the cannabinoids and terpenes are stored, giving the strain its aroma, flavor, potency and effects. The essence of the flash-frozen flowers are extracted to create live resin, providing rich and aromatic flavors. The color is similar to honey, ranging from white or pale to a dark yellow. The taste is often similar to fresh herbs or fruit. The texture is dense and sauce-like. It’s typically quite sticky, so it’s a good idea to use a dab tool during prep work. I like that live resin concentrates are usually high in THC. They provide a strong and intense high and are recommended for seasoned cannabis users. The main difference between distillates (cured resin concentrates) and live resin alternatives is the starting material. Distillates are created from dried plant material while live resin is the result of frozen plant material. It’s all a matter of preference, but in my opinion, live resin is superior. They retain the highest percentage of terpene content possible.