Is Live Resin Worth It?

Raw Garden Live Resin, photo by Lindsey Bartlett.

Why is live resin so expensive?

Live resin is expensive because the entire process of manufacturing it is unique. Other extracts are made after the cannabis flower is dried and cured. What makes resin “live” is skipping these processes and freezing the fresh flower immediately. The freezing process adds more equipment, labor, and thus expenses to the equation .

Extracting live resin is also difficult. Since the flower is never dried it contains a lot of water. Even a little bit of heat will boil the flower and ruin it so live resin must be extracted at very, very cold temperatures.

Made in a multi-chambered butane extractor set as low at -50 degrees, cold extraction preserves flavors and compounds that would disintegrate with heat. This is the same philosophy underlying the manufacture of high-quality vegetable oil (and what makes those olives “extra virgin”). The process yields a smaller batch, but that smaller batch is of much higher quality.

Live resin includes more cannabinoids and terpenes.

Cannabinoids are responsible for the wide range of effects the cannabis plant offers and terpenes are the oils that provide its unique smell and flavor. These are quick to evaporate. Freezing the plant immediately prevents the the terpenes and cannabinoids from evaporating because they’re locked within the flower. The end result is a more complete extract that preserves more of the cannabis magic than is possible after being dried and cured.

Although live resin and live rosin are growing in popularity, most vape carts and pens still use distillate today. So how does live resin compare to distillate? Distillate is taken from flower that is dried and cured and thus loses some of the terps and cannabinoids in the process. Extracting distillate also involves carbon dioxide based solvents while many users hope to avoid chemicals coming between them and their cannabis. On an experiential level, live resin will also provide a more robust, layered, and nuanced effect. Distillate is a straight shot Highville but live resin takes the scenic route.

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Live resin provides an elevated experience.

Live resin maximizes the enjoyment of cannabis in all of its glory. A more nuanced and evolved high is experienced with a more robust roster of cannabinoids and terpenes. Yes, there’s a lot of hype around live resin, but it actually lives up to it. If you splurge on a gourmet meal, day at the spa, or only top shelf alcohol, you should be making that same effort with your weed.

Because it’s the good stuff make sure you treat it correctly. Live resin needs to be vaporized with minimal heat rather than smoked. Don’t add it to a joint or to top off a bowl because the heat will burn off the terpenes immediately. The easiest way to use live resin is to get a live resin vape cartridge and use it on low heat. If you’re loyal to your dab rig, get it set up and heat your nail to about 350 degrees.

For storage, keep your live resin in an airtight container in cool, dark environment. Never leave the lid open, and don’t place your jar anywhere near a window. If you have one, a mini-fridge can function as the perfect place to tuck away your live resin stash.

The takeaway…

Live resin is entirely worth the elevated price point. Emjay has a large selection of live resin we’ll deliver to you directly. You’ll be enjoying the tasty terpenes of live resin from the comfort of your couch with minimal effort required in no time.