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The cannabis concentrate world is ever-changing, and it’s evident when you look at the past decade of progress. Hash oil was the earliest form of cannabis concentrate, and the development of products like wax and shatter was once the largest major innovation in extracts.
Today, consumers are presented with an abundance of options, and one of the most flavorful, highest quality concentrates seeing a surge in popularity is live rosin.
The product is still fairly new in the grand scheme of things, but it’s steadily taken a place as one of the most sought after concentrates in the medical and adult-use cannabis markets. But what exactly is so special about live rosin? Is it worth the sometimes lofty price tag, and what exactly is the benefit of taking the leap versus other concentrates?
If you’re curious to learn more about live rosin, its benefits, how to use it, and more, you’re in the right spot!
What is Live Rosin?
Live rosin is a cannabis concentrate involving an extraction from freshly harvested cannabis plant matter that’s immediately flash-frozen at sublevel temperatures — that’s what makes it “live.” This method effectively retains many of the precious cannabis compounds — like trichomes, terpenes, and cannabinoids — for the final product that are typically lost when curing cannabis. This makes live rosin more flavorful and potent than other non-live concentrates.
The plant then undergoes extraction, without the use of chemical solvents used to create other cannabis concentrates. Rosin is also made with heat, just without flash-freezing.
Benefits of Live Rosin
So, why live rosin? Among the slew of available concentrate products for consumers, what are the specific perks of going with live rosin?
Solventless Extraction
While smoking live rosin, you only inhale pure plant extract solvents. While other concentrates, like live resin, use solvents like ethanol or carbon dioxide, they are required to undergo a removal process before they hit the market. Still, many consumers believe live rosin is a safer option and feel more assured knowing solvents were never used during extraction. Live rosin also boasts many of the same benefits as live resin.
Terpene Profile
Live rosin has a superior terpene profile than other concentrates, given that it is flash-frozen. Terpenes offer better flavor, which can greatly improve the experience of using concentrates as a whole. Terpenes also help to encourage the entourage effect, which suggests that cannabis compounds are most effective when they can work synergistically, in tandem with one another. Many consumers attest that live rosin has the best flavor profile of any concentrate, even better than live resin. Terpenes and specific aromas have also been shown to carry potential therapeutic benefits on their own!
More Potent
The fresh-freezing of the plant not only preserves more terpenes, which can help increase overall potency and enhance effects, but it also preserves cannabinoids. That means live rosin often has a higher percentage of THC, CBD, and other minor cannabinoids than non-live concentrates. Once again, the more cannabinoids, the better the entourage effect and overall outcomes. That said, live rosin typically has less THC and overall cannabinoids than live resin.
How to Make Live Rosin
The first, key step in creating live concentrates is flash-freezing the freshly harvested cannabis plant, effectively preserving those precious terpenes, cannabinoids, and other compounds. There is no drying or curing, just the removal of fan leaves, cutting the stocks, and putting the buds inside a moisture-resistant bag to freeze.
Wet flower on its own isn’t fit for rosin extraction, so live rosin is made with bubble hash. At the proper time, extractors mix the frozen, ready-to-process cannabis with ice and water, agitating the mixture inside a series of mesh bags. Producers will then collect kief and hand-press the mixture into bubble hash. From there, it’s mechanically pressed into live rosin using high heat and pressure, separating from the rest of the plant.
Live Rosin vs. Live Resin
You may have also heard about live resin, which is similar to live rosin but has a number of key differences. Both of these concentrates are indeed live and undergo the same initial flash-freezing process, so both live rosin and live resin retain more terpenes and cannabinoids.
However, live resin and live rosin differ in their extraction methods. While live rosin is made without the use of solvents and instead uses heat and pressure, live resin is blasted with solvents after fresh-freezing. After the extraction, it is then purged of any remaining solvents before it hits the market.
Live resin generally has a higher THC percentage than live rosin, but live rosin arguably has one of the best flavor profiles of any concentrate — even better than live resin!
How to Use Live Rosin
If you’re already familiar with smoking cannabis concentrates like wax, shatter, or sugars, the good news is you can use live rosin in the same exact way. A dab rig is often the go to, with users taking a small glob of live rosin, dropping it into a heated glass nail, then capping the top to inhale the vapor. A nectar collector is another popular option, which essentially involves heating the end, placing it directly on the concentrate, and inhaling the resulting vapor.
You can also use an electronic option, like an e-rig or a vaporizer that takes cannabis concentrates, and some cannabis brands are also beginning to offer cartridges with live rosin, a simple and discreet option users can screw onto a battery and easily hit the resulting vapor.
For flower lovers, live rosin can also be placed on top of a bowl or in a joint.
Live Rosin Edibles
There is plenty of crossover among cannabis products, and live rosin is no exception. An ever-growing number of edibles on the market today go the extra mile, utilizing high-quality concentrates like live rosin as part of their recipes. Live rosin edibles are simply made with live rosin instead of decarboxylated cannabis flower. Like the concentrate itself, these edibles tend to pack a bigger punch and offer more flavor than traditional edibles.
How to Store Live Rosin
Concentrate products can be stored for longer periods of time, but there are still specific measures users should take to best preserve live rosin and the plentiful compounds it contains. The main environmental factors that contribute to the degradation of live rosin are exposure to air, sunlight, high temperatures, and moisture.
That said, live rosin is best stored in an airtight container in the fridge or even the freezer. You may be OK storing live rosin in a drawer if you don’t live in a warm climate, though it’s best to stick with a cooler spot for longer periods of storage. Those who choose to store live rosin in the freezer should be careful to ensure that there isn’t too much humidity in the container, as this could allow moisture to persist. Vacuum sealing your concentrate or placing your airtight container in a resealable bag can help to combat it.
Final Thoughts
Live rosin is steadily taking the cannabis market by storm, and for good reason! Consumers tend to enjoy the complex flavor profile and potency of live rosin, and luckily, the increased popularity has made live rosin, and related products like live rosin edibles, more accessible to the masses. So what are you waiting for? It might be the right time to get your hands on this delectable dab!
Frequently Asked Questions
What Does Live Rosin Do for You?
Cannabis concentrates as a whole tend to offer a quicker experience: a dab generally only takes a couple of minutes to prepare and take, allowing users to swiftly continue about their days, versus a joint or bowl that takes longer to smoke.
Live rosin offers more potent options over standard dabs, like wax and shatter, so cannabis users with high tolerances often prefer it. Those who seek medicinal relief through cannabis may also find that more potent products lead to longer-lasting, superior relief.
And of course, live rosin has some of the best flavor of any cannabis concentrate, providing one of the smoothest, most delectable experiences you’ll find in the concentrate world.
Is Live Rosin Stronger Than Dabs?
Live rosin is more potent than other non-live concentrates like wax, shatter, budder, and sugar, but it’s generally a bit less potent than live resin. This is because it is flash-frozen, effectively preserving the many plant compounds, namely terpenes and cannabinoids, that enhance its effects and increase potency. Standard dabs like wax and shatter lose a decent amount of these compounds throughout the extraction process, and while they are still much stronger than cannabis flower, live rosin surely packs a bigger punch.
Is Live Rosin Good or Bad?
Inhaling smoke or vapor will always carry some risk of adverse effects on your lungs, though vaporizing concentrates is often considered a safer option than smoking flower. Many consumers also gravitate toward live rosin given that it uses no solvents during the extraction process.
Live rosin is a potent concentrate, often testing between 70% and 85% THC, though live resin is overall more potent. For context, most cannabis flower is between 15% and 30%, so live rosin is still incredibly strong! It’s also important to remember that THC is just one element of a bigger picture, and looking at the broader cannabinoid and terpene profiles, the strain and lineage, the process of growing flower, and more are also vital factors when it comes to concentrate quality. High THC on its own isn’t necessarily indicative of a high-quality dab!
Like any cannabis product, live rosin has its pros and cons. The only way to find out if it’s right for you is by giving it a try!
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