Cannabis growers love to refine new ways to get high. Over the last decade, an explosion of creations has expanded the marketplace. With expansion comes new terms like full-spectrum, isolate, live resin, distillate, and broad-spectrum. These are slightly different cannabis extracts, but they all have the same goal: getting the most out of cannabis.
Each year, more cannabis users are trying (and switching) to new forms. Vaping continues to see strong growth year over year. As vaping gains popularity, different methods of extracting critical components of cannabis arrive. Navigating the differences and which is best for you is a challenge. What are the differences between a live resin vs. a distillate cartridge? Is one better than the other? Let’s look at how they are made and what makes them so different.
Live resin is made from fresh flowers of the cannabis plant. At the peak of harvest, the plants are cut down and flash-frozen to preserve the desired trichomes. Trichomes are where the terpenes and cannabinoids are found. The frozen cannabis flowers are extracted into what is known as live resin.
Live resin is a thick, saucy extract and can somewhat resemble the crystallized honey left at the bottom of the jar. The plant’s terpene profile remains intact when using fresh flowers, providing a rich flavor and complex aromatic extract closely matching the qualities of the bud itself. Just like fruits and vegetables start to lose their nutrients when harvested, cannabis acts similarly. Flash-freezing the flowers keeps the integrity of the bud as if it were still alive.
The distillate is made from another type of extract. Distillates have a different objective. Rather than reserving all the terpenes, distillates concentrate the desired cannabinoid, usually THC. Once a cannabis plant is cut, dried, and cured, it can be ready to sell as cannabis buds or extract the oil. This crude oil can be crafted into concentrates like shatter, wax, crumble, or budder, depending on the post-extraction process.
When making distillate, the crude oil undergoes fractional, short-path distillation. Using heat and pressure, you can extract all cannabis compounds individually since they each have a different boiling point. Usually, the goal of distillation is to separate the THC to make a highly potent product in the form of a clear, odorless liquid.
The most pronounced difference between live resin and distillate is the live resin’s high terpene content. Distillate does not retain any terpenes after extraction. The fundamental difference between the processes is that live resin is made from frozen cannabis, and distillate is made from dried, cured cannabis. The extraction methods may vary in the type of solvent used (if any), winterization and decarboxylation methods, and other proprietary processes. You can make a distillate and a live resin on the same extraction machinery, but the post-extraction processes vary.
So long as the plant matter is frozen or freshly cut and extracted, the result could be considered live resin. Once removed, live resin is decarboxylated and ready to go.
Distillate goes through the fractional short-path distillation process to further refine the extract. The cannabinoids are separated from the plant matter in this process, leaving behind a thick, precise, or yellowish liquid that is almost purely cannabinoids.
The distillate has a much higher cannabinoid percentage but is void of all terpenes. Live resin is lower in cannabinoids and very high in terpenes.
The whole purpose of creating live resin is to maintain the highest percentage of terpene content possible. Terpenes are responsible for the smell and taste of each different strain of the cannabis plant. They are found in various combinations and work together with cannabinoids and flavonoids to produce a full spectrum of effects for the mind and the body.
Terpenes are not psychoactive like cannabinoids but play an essential role in the overall effect. Terpenes work synergistically alongside cannabinoids to create what is known as the ‘entourage effect.’ This term describes the harmonious impact of consuming these naturally occurring plant substances together.
The entourage effect only works when there is a multitude of cannabinoids and terpenes working together. Keeping the plant’s compounds together is the best way to maximize the benefits of that plant. As research is done, the more we understand how a full spectrum benefits the human body for several ailments. It is also known that adding non-cannabis-derived terpenes to distillate is not as beneficial as adding the terpenes pulled out in distillation.
When debating live resin vs. distillate, it ultimately depends on the user’s preference or the situation. Live resin mimics smoking buds giving the user the flavors and aromas associated with the parent plant. If you need to be more discreet, using a distillate provides an odorless vape that doesn’t advertise you are enjoying cannabis to anyone around you.
When it comes to the high associated with each, live resin tends to produce similar effects to what you would feel if you smoked the dried flower. On the other hand, the distillate will have a more intense high at first, but it tends to be short-lived since there is a lack of other beneficial cannabinoids and terpenes to engage the entourage effect.
Everything about cannabis consumption is a personal choice. The plant offers so much diversity that there is a strain that fits almost everyone. It starts with learning what strains work best for you. Look for products extracted from your favorite strains or category of strains. Many times an extract will identify the strain it came from. Often in edibles, it will list if it came from a sativa, indica, or hybrid. Circling back to whether you should go with live resin or distillates, it comes down to what you want from your cannabis experience. Suppose you want to have the same experience as smoking bud with the convenience of vaping, then live resin is your choice. If you really enjoy THC and its effects, go with a distillate. Either way, you will be pleased with the results!
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