The cannabis industry has seen major advancements in recent years and many new extraction products have hit the market, including live resin and distillate.
This can leave consumers feeling overwhelmed when trying to decide which one is right for them. But navigating between live resin and distillate isn’t as complicated as it may seem.
LIVE RESIN
Live resin is a cannabis concentrate that is made using fresh frozen cannabis flowers rather than dried flowers. This method preserves the terpenes, or flavor and aroma compounds, that are lost during typical drying and curing processes. This process is generally performed utilizing hydrocarbon extraction equipment. Live resin is usually sapped and has a consistency that ranges from thick nectar to something that behaves more like wet sugar.
MANTRA Live Resin Concentrates
DISTILLATES
Distillates, on the other hand, don’t contain the terpenes found in live resin. The process involves an additional step of taking the extracted material and distilling it in order to separate the THCa. These types of extracts tend to be 95-99% THC. As a result, they tend to be tasteless and odorless. Distillates most often come in liquid forms.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE?
So what’s the difference between the two? While both types of extracts provide intense highs, the terpene-rich live resin is ideal for those looking for an enhanced flavor and more of an “entourage effect” (the entourage effect of all the cannabinoids, terpenes, and flavonoids working together). Distillates are great for those looking for maximum potency but are willing to sacrifice flavor, aroma, and more of a well-rounded high.
At the end of the day, it’s all about personal preference. When deciding between live resin and distillate, consumers must consider the type of experience they’re looking for, their tolerance level, and their desired flavor profile as well as the cost.