CURED RESIN AND LIVE RESIN CANNABIS EXTRACTS

In the world of cannabis concentrates, solvent-based products crafted from cured and live resin still take the lion’s share when it comes to popularity and sales.

Purists may find solventless concentrates like live rosin appealing because solvents aren’t used during the extraction process. However, when cured and live resin concentrates are properly produced and purged at licensed labs, the consistency and craftsmanship of these products are evident.

These concentrates are some of the most sought-after in the market, offering a range of distinctive profiles. They are also among the more accessible options, especially when compared to other premium cannabis concentrate types.

What are cannabis concentrates and extracts?

Concentrates are the product of extracting the specific parts of the cannabis plant containing its most desirable properties and offering them in a compact form. 

The part that’s extracted is the trichomes, or the tiny, mushroom-shaped resin glands. These glands contain the unique profile of cannabinoids and terpenes in each flower, contributing to the distinctive characteristics of the concentrate.

When the resin glands are extracted using solvents such as butane, propane, CO2, and alcohol, they’re called extracts. When they’re extracted without solvents, they’re just concentrates.

In other words, concentrates can be both solvent-based and solventless. But extracts are exclusively solvent-based.

If you think about it, you could argue that all concentrates are extracts since you’re extracting and sifting out the same parts of the plant. 

But when dealing with dispensaries, it’s good to know that concentrates are an umbrella term for all cannabis products created by extracting and concentrating the trichomes.

Extracts: solvent-based concentrates 

The most popular solvent-based concentrates are from cured resin and live resin.

Solvent-based concentrates are effective at extracting the cannabis trichomes. This process helps retain more terpenes and cannabinoids, including THC, which interacts with the body’s natural systems.

Solvent-based extraction methods can result in extracts that showcase the full range of cannabis compounds working together to create a distinctive profile.

It highlights the core characteristics of the plant’s composition.

Flash-Freezing cannabis flower for live resin

Both cured and live resin extracts use solvent-based extraction methods, but the primary distinction between the two processes is that for live resin, the cannabis plant is flash-frozen upon harvest. 

When manufacturers use live resin to make their concentrates, they ensure the end product retains a higher concentration of both terpenes and cannabinoids, resulting in a more complex product profile.

It may seem like a minor difference, but ensuring the flash-frozen plant is properly stored is a real challenge when producing live resin. 

Frozen trichomes are brittle and can break easily. Manufacturers must handle the plants with care to preserve the terpenes and cannabinoids that are key to the concentrate’s quality.

Unlike dried and cured cannabis, for live resin, the whole plant is cut, frozen, and stored, which means it requires much more space. Extracting live resin from the larger plant means the process takes longer than it would with cured resin.

There’s more at work here than this. The point is that live resin adds an extra layer of complexity to what is already a sophisticated procedure of extracting resin using solvents.

Using solvents to make live resin

While harvesting, handling, and maintaining frozen plants can be a resource and labor-intensive process, needless to say, the hardest part of making cured and live resin is the extraction itself. 

There’s a reason why only licensed labs should be manufacturing solvent-based cured and live resin concentrates: the process requires expert handling.

Since flammable solvents such as carbon dioxide, butane, alcohol, and propane are often employed, only trained experts should be carrying out the procedure.

Butane hash oil

For most extracts of choice, butane is the preferred solvent to flush out the resin from the trichomes.

Manufacturers infuse cured or frozen cannabis buds with the solvent, often using a “closed-loop system” to reuse the solvent after the process is completed, minimizing environmental impact.

The butane helps separate cannabinoids and terpenes from the trichomes, resulting in a slurry that contains these key compounds.

The resulting product is butane hash oil (BHO), which is commonly used to make various types of cannabis concentrates.

But first, BHO, or any other solvent-based slurry, needs to be purged.

Purging live resin

It's important to ensure that your cannabis extracts are free from excess solvents, as too much residual solvent can negatively impact the quality of the product.

For the best quality, it’s essential that extracts are produced at licensed labs using the proper equipment and expertise.

Extractors use methods such as evaporation in a vacuum oven to purge solvents from the extracted resin.

Licensed labs take extensive measures to ensure that their live resin extracts are properly purged of solvents.

They ensure that any residual solvent in the live resin is within the allowable limits set by industry standards.

The art of making live resin

All in all, a delicate balance of temperature, pressure, and time play a huge role in the production of live resin and the concentrates made from it. 

Along with the cannabis strain used, the three factors mentioned above play a crucial role in determining the overall quality of the concentrate.

Any misstep during the process can lead to a live resin product that does not meet the desired standards. 

Excessive heat can cause cannabinoids and terpenes to degrade, leading to a less effective product. Insufficient heat may result in incomplete purging of solvent residues.

If the process takes too long, the resin may undergo oxidation. If not enough time is spent, the consistency of the live resin may not meet the intended outcome.

Cannabis manufacturers use their expertise to produce high-quality cannabis concentrates, focusing on preserving the full range of terpenes and cannabinoids in both cured and live resin products.

Each cannabis strain has a unique collection of cannabinoids and terpenes, each of which responds differently to temperature variations.

A deep understanding of the plant and how its properties respond to specific pressure and heat conditions is essential in the production of extracts.

This knowledge allows manufacturers to create extracts that meet the desired quality standards for cannabis products.

Cured resin and live resin concentrates 

Given that solvent-based concentrates use the same base substance - live resin or cured resin - you might be wondering what differentiates the various products derived from them.

Several factors contribute to the differences. Each cured or live resin concentrate varies in consistency and cannabinoid content. Different extraction methods can result in varying textures and visual characteristics.

An important point to keep in mind is that live resin concentrates are distinct from cured resin concentrates, often resulting in different properties, which may affect the final price.

The price of live resin concentrates

The price of a concentrate is influenced by several factors, including the cannabis strain used, its cultivation methods, and the processing techniques, along with the cannabinoid and terpene content of the final product.

For example, some cannabis strains are easier to extract resin from than others, which may influence the production process.

Similar to many other crops, such as coffee beans, single-sourced products may carry a higher price due to fewer suppliers being involved, often because of the distinct features of the product compared to products with multiple suppliers.

Brands that maintain a consistent production process tend to provide a more reliable product compared to those with varying quality across batches.

An additional consideration in product pricing can be the visual characteristics, such as appearance and color.

The texture and handling properties of live resin concentrates can vary, allowing for different levels of manageability depending on the product.

Once the extract is ready, the final treatment process can influence the appearance of the cured or live resin concentrate.

Extracts and concentrates are typically named based on their consistency.

Budder and Badder

Budder and badder are terms used for a substance with a consistency similar to butter or batter. It is thick, stable, and manageable, offering a consistent product profile.

Its malleable consistency allows for more precise handling during consumption, as it can be measured to the desired amount.

During the purging stage, the slurry is heated at low temperatures and then aerated or whipped into budder.

The consistency can vary, and the appearance may range from light yellow to pale white.

Sugar, Diamonds, and Sauce

This is what cannabis connoisseurs call the THC crystals that form when extracting live resin. 

They vary in size from small grains to larger formations. The compounds in these crystals are activated when dabbed or vaped, but smoking them in a joint or bong will not have the same effect.

How many grams you think this is? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/QJcR4ni921

- STIIIZY (@stiiizy) September 14, 2023

While live resin diamond concentrates are often sold on their own, they contain lower terpene content, which is why they are frequently combined with live resin sauce to enhance the overall profile.

Diamonds are notable for their high concentration of cannabinoids, often approaching near 100%.

Due to their high cannabinoid concentration, diamonds paired with terpene-enriched sauce may offer a more robust experience compared to other live resin concentrates like shatter or crumble.

Diamonds are visually striking. While THC crystals typically appear as grains of sand, when allowed to form fully, they take on large, diamond-like shapes.

Larger diamonds paired with clear-colored sauce may be priced higher due to their appearance and the production process.

In terms of consistency, larger live resin diamonds within the sauce can present challenges in handling, particularly for those seeking precise measurements.

Some consumers may break the diamonds into smaller pieces to better incorporate them with the sauce.

Shatter

Even when live fresh-frozen flower is used in the process, the resin slurry is cured on a flat sheet until it becomes brittle and amber-hued, resembling a breakable glass-like sheet, which gives it its name.

Shatter can vary in transparency and vibrancy, which may influence its appearance. It is generally stable but can break into smaller pieces during handling.

It may contain a variety of terpenes.

Crumble

A drier, less dense extract, it has a texture that resembles honeycomb or crumbles.

Due to its consistency, crumble can be used in various ways, including as a topping for dry flower in smoking devices.

Rather than whipping the resin after extraction, manufacturers use a gentler purging method over a longer time, applying low heat and pressure to vaporize the solvent.

Some believe crumble maintains more of its original terpene profile, contributing to its distinct characteristics.

Some connoisseurs argue that crumble's reputation for being a leading extract type has evolved over time.

In the current landscape, some experts consider crumble, along with shatter, to be lower in popularity compared to other concentrate types.

Some consumers have noted that solvent residues can still be present in crumble.

At STIIIZY, we use high-quality flowers for all of our cannabis concentrates, including live resin pods, curated live resin, live resin diamonds, and more. Explore STIIIZY's range of products here.