The Ultimate Live Resin Guide for Arizona Dispensary Shoppers
Here’s everything we think you should know about live resin, an increasingly popular cannabis consumption method among Arizona’s dispensary customers.
One of the exciting things about the growing world of legal cannabis is the increasing quantity of new products and consumption methods. It seems like there’s a fresh way to enjoy our favorite plant every day, from topicals to edibles and beyond!
Still, the sheer volume of product options now available for Arizonans to legally purchase and consume can lead to a lot of confusion.
And you know we’re committed to clearing things up for you. So, let’s explore a consumption method Sol Flower customers often ask about – live resin.
Live resin is inspiring cult-like loyalty among Arizona dispensary customers because of the terpene-rich experience it delivers.
So what is live resin? And how is live resin made? Let’s take a closer look at your new favorite cannabis product.
What is Live Resin?
Live resin is a concentrated form of the cannabis flower’s bioactive components.
Unlike other concentrates, live resin is crafted from fresh flower buds and leaves rather than dried cannabis.
This distinction means that live resin contains more terpenes than other concentrates, lending it a more robust and distinctive flavor profile. The products also tend to be high in THC, making live resin as functional as it is delicious.
What Does Live Resin Look Like?
Most live resin tends to be softer than other concentrates (like shatter – which, true to its name, is shattered and hard). It’s slightly gooey and squishy, with an almost caramel-like consistency and a potent, terpene-laden aroma.
It’s also super sticky, like most other concentrated forms of cannabis, so if you’re consuming live resin for the first time, make sure you use a dab tool, or you’ll be left with a mess (literally) on your hands!
In terms of visual appearance, live cannabis resin ranges in color from a light, sunshiny, daisy yellow, or even light white to a dark amber hue.
If left sitting for a few weeks, live resin can change its appearance, so don’t be alarmed when you return to your stash after a brief hiatus.
Is Live Resin Different from Rosin?
Short answer: yes!
Not to get too technical, but the main difference between live resin and live rosin is how each concentrate is created.
Brands use solvents to create live resin. It’s typically a butane extraction process where targeted chemicals collect all the good stuff from the fresh cannabis plant.
On the other hand, rosin is made using purely physical extraction methods. Instead of using solvents, rosin is formed by applying heat and pressure on a dedicated rosin press.
In terms of the experience, both resin and rosin are highly concentrated, potent forms of cannabis, so their differences come down primarily to personal preference.
How is Live Resin Made?
We’ve already addressed the chemical component so let’s take a big picture look at how live resin is made.
To make live resin, the bioactive components of the cannabis plant, including flowers and sugar leaves, are flash-frozen to preserve their aromatic and functional qualities. The resulting resin and other associated compounds, including flavor enhancers like terpenes, are then extracted from the plant.
This process allows producers to capture the full array of associated compounds in fresh cannabis plants, producing an ultra flavorful concentrate.
The Benefits of Live Resin
The live resin production process preserves the full flavor and potency of the cannabis compounds from which it’s sourced.
What’s that mean for your experience? It means you’ll enjoy an ultra flavorful and aromatic premium cannabis journey. By preserving the terpenes and trichomes present in the raw cannabis plant, resin producers create a more potent and tasty product for consumers to enjoy.
Live Resin Consumption Methods and Product Styles
What’s the best way to consume live resin? Here are the most popular forms to explore:
Sap
The standard form of live resin extraction, live resin sap, is the ultra potent, terpene-rich distillation in its simplest form.
Sugar
Live resin sugar contains crystallized THC nuggets floating in a suspension of liquid resin. It’s flavorful and a little grainy, like brown sugar or the sprinkles on a cinnamon roll.
Badder
Made from whipping live resin until it achieves a creamy consistency, live resin badder looks like a stoner’s dream version of canned frosting. Pairs best with a side of birthday cake.
Sauce
With a glistening transparent amber appearance, live resin sauce is packed with the aromatic terpenes that give this distillate its flavor power.
Dab
The above forms of live resin can be used in live resin dabs. All you need is the same kind of dab set up used for other dabbing forms. Just make sure to keep the temperature low to reap the maximum flavor benefits of all those terpenes.
Vape
If you’re more of the vaping kind, using a live resin cartridge in your favorite dab pen is super simple. Use a dedicated dab pen to handle the concentrate, keep that temperature low, and vape away!
Edibles
But wait—can you eat live resin? While creating live resin edibles is technically possible, you need heat to activate the live resin, making vaping or dabbing a better choice.
Can I Smoke Live Resin?
If you prefer smoking but don’t have any special gear, can you still try live resin? Yes.
Learning to smoke live resin can be a little tricky, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you don’t need to invest in a whole kit.
If you prefer to smoke flower, sample live resin by simply “topping off” your bowl with a bit of extract.
You can place live resin on top of your flower using a dab tool or, in a pinch, a DIY alternative like a bobby pin. But, as always, when trying a new cannabis product, start low and go slow! This is strong stuff, and you don’t want to overindulge.
How to Consume Live Resin
We love to break out the live resin when we’re looking for an indulgent, multi-sensory cannabis experience. Because it’s so potent and flavorful, live resin is an excellent way to take your cannabis consumption to the next level, whether that means sharing the love with cannabis expert friends or simply relaxing at home and exploring the world of trichomes.
Live resin is the perfect accessory to a day when you simply want to treat yourself to a sensory indulgence!
How to Store Live Resin
Last but not least, let’s go over how to store your live resin, so it lasts.
You should store your live resin products in a cool, dry, and dark place like a fridge or kitchen cabinet (ENSURE MINORS CANNOT ACCESS YOUR STASH). Live resin liquefies at high temperatures, rendering the material virtually useless.
You might consider transferring your live resin from its packaging to a silicone storage container. Its sticky nature means live resin clings to EVERYTHING, so you’ll save yourself a headache if you want to use it slowly over the long term while making sure you get every last drop.
Ready to start your live resin journey? Visit your nearest Sol Flower Arizona dispensary and chat with a team member.
