Resin, Live Resin, and Rosin: What’s the Difference?

Last Updated on September 15, 2021

Weed enthusiasts know that marijuana is one of the most talked-about plants in the world for centuries now. In the last era, cannabis enthusiasts were considered criminals, and even obtaining a bud or two was impossible. Therefore, its prohibition made it hard for smokers to find quality buds and enjoy their favourite sport.

 In the last decade, things seem to be getting a surprising turn. Many advanced countries started to legalize and decriminalize cannabis products, therefore recognizing its pharmaceutical and therapeutic properties. The weed-loving community began to expand, creating a brand new market with massive potential.

Accordingly, with the development of the cannabis market, multiple adjustments in strains, potency, and different effects came. 

Many consumers tend to use and practice classic forms of marijuana, including Indica, Sativa, or hybrid strains. Simultaneously, the rise in demand introduced cannabis concentrates (which can get you way higher than conventional weed). 

Besides concentrates and extracts, numerous cannabis-infused products and edibles are produced every day, meaning that both regular stoners and recreational users can choose their favourite form of ingesting weed. 

Likewise, many cannabis enthusiasts and newbies cannot comprehend the meaning of numerous definitions related to marijuana since their number keeps growing, and we are here to help.

 

What are Cannabis Concentrates?

First and foremost, we must state that cannabis concentrates are not a universal term. However, in general, cannabis concentrates come in different forms and are gained mostly by mechanical processes. 

A cannabis concentrate, by definition, presents a highly concentrated, excessive material left over after removing redundant plant material while withholding essential matters, including cannabinoids and terpenes

This means that the aroma, flavour, and signature properties remain the same as in conventional buds, only without unnecessary material live leaves, stems, etc.

 

Types of Cannabis Concentrates

The most common types of cannabis concentrate include:

-Liquid form-Tinctures ingested orally present cannabis-infused products, which are usually put under the tongue and need about 30 mins to kick in.

-Capsules-Ingested orally in the form of concentrated cannabis capsules and can take around 2-3 hours to kick in.

-Hashish-Ingested by smoking, dabbing, or vaporizing and present a pressed form of cannabis glands including fast-acting and potent properties.

-Oil, Shatter, Wax-Oil refined by a specific solvent (butane, CO2). Very high in THC, potent and fast-acting.

 

Most Common Cannabis Concentrates

Now, when it comes to the most popular Cannabis Concentrates, user reviews count a couple of prevalent ones, including:

Shatter– Is one of the most common cannabis concentrates out there and very popular in the weed-loving community. Shatter looks like amber, while its form resembles sugar or glass. It’s easy to smash it into smaller parts (as the name says).

Budder: Budder is a type of weed extract made by the usage of solvents. It’s moisty, much softer, and stickier in comparison to shatter. Budder is reasonably easy to use, especially for dabbers, because of that softness and is often added to a bowl or a joint.

Hash- Hash is probably one of the most recognized cannabis concentrates out there and represents compressed( large amounts) Resin. It can be found in various forms and colours depending on the percentage and proportion of cannabinoids. Most popular versions include Afghan, Morrocan, Lebanese and Mercedes Hash.

Tinctures: Tinctures are quite new on the market and present an innovative form of cannabis-infused products. Since it’s liquid, it cannot be added to joints or bowls, meaning that no dabbing is possible. They are used by putting the mentioned liquid beneath your tongue and leaving it there for a couple of minutes. Your body will absorb this oil-based product quickly, resulting in a high and very potent trip.

 

What are cannabis extracts, and what’s the difference?

The main difference between concentrates and extracts is that extracts are made using certain solvents, meaning that the expected product will have its own properties, flavour, and smell depending on the used solution.

Since the world of cannabis concentrates and extracts is expanding rapidly, various forms of weed products are made continuously, making it hard to recognize and understand each one for an everyday stoner. Concentrates and extracts are differentiated and do not describe the same thing when it comes to terminology. 

However, in everyday life, they can often represent synonyms, which can be very confusing. The best advice is to inform yourselves; hence we created this guide to help.

 

Resin, Live Resin, and Rosin.

These three terms mentioned above have similar names but range in potency, structure, and methods of extraction.

 

1.What is Resin?

It is essential to state that Resin can be found in many forms and is all over the plant, but it usually refers to brown, sticky, and gooey substance on the surface of the cannabis flower. Resin is made out of marijuana trichomes- particles that produce cannabinoids, including THC, CBD, and many others. Therefore, extracted Resin represents the strongest and the most potent part of the plant, producing a highly intensive trip.

Now, Resin can be obtained and used in several ways and methods.

The most common way is merely rubbing the buds between your fingers and compressing them. However, there are far more efficient and complex methods for extracting Resin from your weed that require specific terms and tools. Also, Resin is an elementary component of that hash we mentioned earlier.

 

The Botanical Purpose of Resin 

Like every other “being” on this planet, plants have their defensive properties and characteristics. Cannabis plants and flowers produce Resin as a defensive mechanism since it keeps pests away and protects the plant from harmful UV lightning. 

Those resinous trichomes that marijuana has are the critical component for both the high and medical benefits, so you can see why Resin is highly significant.

You can get both of these effects by merely smoking the bud. Some prefer to separate it from the rest of the flower to consume concentrated Resin- the most important reason for collecting kief (dusty particles that fall into the bottom compartment by grinding weed in your grinder).

 

How to Extract Resin?

Resin is very easy to extract. As mentioned before, the most simple way to extract it is by rubbing weed by only using your hands. Put weed between your hands, start rolling it with your fingers, and the Resin will start falling off. Although compressing larger quantities of Resin will create hash, which produced like this won’t be as potent as the manufactured hash available online and in certified shops.

Also, a more complex way of extracting Resin includes rubbing larger quantities of weed over a mesh. The wanted particles will fall through the mesh and can be used to produce hash and other numerous Resin based products.

For gaining prime quality hash, there are more complex processes, including additional and special equipment.

Example: Dry Ice Hash

This type of hash is made using buckets, dry ice, and bubble bags for distinguishing Resin from the rest of the plant.

We must state that it is very easy to collect Resin by using your grinder. The more weed you grind, the more Resin will be collected in the kief compartment. You can consume it by adding the collected kief(Resin) to the bowl, bong, or a joint.

However, if you are looking for highly concentrated and potent hashish, try exploring your options online. Be cautious and order from a trusted and certified provider.

 

2.What is Live Resin

One of the most common misconceptions regarding the subject refers to the differences between Resin and Live Resin since they aren’t the same thing. Live Resin is obviously related to Resin since it’s based on it. 

However, Live Resin is a product made in expert labs and presents a cannabis concentrate which can only be made in special terms with special equipment. Another key difference is that Live Resin is an extremely potent and sticky matter resembling in appearance to wax or shatter (not Resin).

Live Resin is mostly made out of freshly iced cannabis using different solvents. Most solvent extracts cause marijuana to lower its potency and cannabinoid levels in the process. However, here, this is not the case since this specific process preserves all of the trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids.

Live Resin presents one of the most potent, flavoured, and efficient extracts out there, making it very popular today, and the demand just keeps growing.

Now, making it is a complicated and expensive process; hence no wonder it’s quite hard to come by quality material. Stoners and marijuana enthusiasts describe Live Resin as a soft material in texture and very delicate in appearance. Its color mostly resembles amber, while its look mostly matches sugar substances.

As mentioned before, Live Resin is hard to come by and very expensive. A big part of the cannabis community often confuses this extra potent substance with Resin and Rosin.

 

How to Extract Live Resin?

Since Live Resin is merely impossible to make without a specialist lab and costly equipment, you won’t be able to synthesize it at home. If you are interested in consuming high-quality Live Resin, explore the market, and make sure you order your stuff from a certified company. 

Although ordering Live Resin online can seem quite costly, keep in mind that this substance is extremely potent; therefore, you will need a smaller amount for an intensive high, making it a pretty smart investment.

 

3.What is Rosin?

As mentioned earlier, It is very easy to get confused and misinterpret Rosin for Resin or Live Resin, and we can’t blame you.

Now, Rosin is a highly potent substance made with a special extraction process and very comparable in appearance to shatter. In comparison to Live Resin (which is created by processing frozen cannabis material), Rosin is extracted using high heat, and high temperatures deliberately caused to extort the Resin and cannabinoids (mostly THC) from the rest of the plant.

Making marijuana Rosin is a process without any solvents resulting in an amber resembling product similar to shatter (or budder).

Also, extracting Rosin is often referred to as an easier way to make shatter ( since high heat is an excellent alternative to using solvents because of the residue related to catalyst use).

High-quality Rosin is made in specialist labs with special equipment. However, it’s possible to create this substance at home using simple tools.

 

How to Extract Rosin?

Equipment needed to extract Rosin at home:

-A hair straightener

-Parchment paper

-Any collection tool

-Gloves

Put on your gloves and place the desired amount of weed (not too much) in the parchment paper and fold it a couple of times. Next, put the folded paper in between your hair straightener and press down as hard as you can for a couple of minutes. 

When you hear the buds grilling and feel the smell stop the process and release. Now, open the paper, and you should see a partly oily substance resembling to shatter. Collect and keep in the desired type of container, preferably glass.

Besides Resin, producing Rosing is one of the simplest extract methods out there. However, if you are looking for certified and high-quality Rosin, try to purchase all sorts of Rosin and Rosin based products online.

Another alternative when it comes to Rosin is to purchase Shatter since these two substances are very similar in form, look, and effects.

 

Which Is Best to Use: Resin, Live Resin, or Rosin?

First, we must state that all three substances are reasonably easy to use, depending on your personal preferences and individual taste. All three of them will get you very high while representing a compressed and concentrated form of marijuana. It would be best to try all three to choose your preferred option easily.

Now, Resin is the easiest to collect and use since you can create it with rolling buds in your hands or use the kief collecting compartment of your grinder. You can add it to your joint, bong, vape, vape pen, dab pen, or bowl, depending on what you have and like to use most. However, Resin is the least potent substance in comparison to Live Resin and Rosin.

Next, Live Resin is the most powerful of all three mentioned extracts. Unfortunately, it is also very hard and expensive to find as you can’t extract it by yourself since it’s a complicated process requiring proper equipment, terms, and a specialist laboratory. 

You can still purchase it online, but we must mention that Live Resin is costly; hence, it will present quite a cost. Live Resin is recommended for regular stoners looking for a mighty and intensive high.

Rosin is a material very similar to shatter and very easy to make in-home conditions. It is not as highly potent as Live Resin. Nevertheless, those who enjoy making their own stuff will enjoy creating Rosin (a moderately potent material) with parchment paper, a plain hair straightener, and heat.

Again, deciding which one suits you best mostly depends on your own preferences regarding potency, quality, and availability.

Since the weed-loving market keeps expanding quickly, we’re sure that shortly, it will be far easier and cheaper to get ahold of them. For now, making your concentrate shouldn’t present a challenge since all of these methods are relatively simple. 

However, if you decide to make Rosin, keep in mind that gloves will save you from any possible danger related to high temperatures.

Collecting Resin will be much easier if you buy a quality grinder with at least four sections ( put an accent on the kief gathering compartment since it’s crucial for collecting Resin). 

If you decide to order Live Resin online, please explore your options and make sure you order the product from a trusted and certified provider.

Let us know what you think, share your experiences, and state your preferred cannabis concentrate in the comment section.