If you’ve spent any time at your favorite dispensary, you may have noticed live resin is one of their offerings.
And given its resemblance to ear wax, you may have passed right by it. We get it.
But seasoned and well-rounded cannabis connoisseurs may advise you to back up and reconsider. Because, ear wax appearance notwithstanding, the live resin experience is wholly unique. And it can be downright enjoyable.
So let’s first address the elephant in the room and ask the big question:
What Is Live Resin?
It pays to be inquisitive.
Here’s the deal. On its journey to becoming a concentrate, the cannabis plant undergoes a drying and curing process in order to extract the valuable compounds. Think of these compounds as the cannabis plant’s precious bodily fluids. (Yes, it’s a Dr. Strangelove reference.)
The problem is, these processes cause the poor plant to wick moisture and chlorophyll. This negatively impacts the trichomes that line nearly every surface of the bud and its foliage. And where there are trichomes, there are terpenes.
Lack of terpenes equals lack of flavor and aroma.
The process for creating live resin skips those two steps by taking freshly harvested cannabis and freezing it to a subcritical temperature both prior to and throughout the extraction process. Bypassing these processes allows terpenes to maintain their distinctive flavor and aromas in the finished product.
Plus, flavor and aroma aside, a more complex terpene profile can deliver a more complex experience as well. This is because of the entourage effect.
So that’s all fine and good. But how does one go about consuming this waxy substance?
Ways to Consume Live Resin
If you’re all about simplicity, live resin can be sprinkled on a packed bowl of flower in a glass pipe or wrapped around a joint or blunt. The combo of cured flower with the live resin can deliver a heightened experience.
Most people get the maximum experience with live resin though through various forms of vaping. There are several different methods that each involve simply vaporizing the live resin with heat and then inhaling the cannabinoids and terpene-rich vapors.
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Dabbing
Dabbing is how purists experience live resin and it requires the most “equipment.”
It involves a specific water pipe called a dab rig along with a flat bowl that’s referred to as a nail. What differentiates a nail from a regular glass bowl used for smoking flower is its ability to withstand higher temperatures.
While most other extracts require a flat-tipped dabber, you need a dabber with a spoon-shaped tip for live resin.
The first step is to preheat your nail using a gas-powered torch. You want to aim for a temperature between 315 and 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If it’s too hot, you run the risk of combusting the flavor and effects. On the other hand, if it’s too cold, you won’t activate the cannabinoids or terpenes. And that’s no good.
Once the nail reaches the optimal temperature, shut off the torch and use your dabber to drop the live resin onto the nail. Once it make contact with the hot nail, it will quickly vaporize – at which point you inhale the vapor through an opening on the opposite end of the rig.
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Use a Nectar Collector
A bit less complicated than dabbing is vaping through a nectar collector.
The nectar collector is a simple device that consists of a quartz or titanium tip, and both a body and cylindrical mouthpiece made from either glass or silicone. In some cases, the body also includes a small water chamber, percolator, or reclaimer.
To use this device, you simply heat the tip to create vapor, then drag the nectar collector across a dab of resin – inhaling as you go.
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Specialized Pens
Easier still is using a dab pen. Similar to a vape pen, a dab pen allows you to put live resin concentrates into it rather than a vape cartridge. Just use your dabber spoon to place it in there and click the button to get started.
And finally, the simplest method by far is to use a vape pen with a live resin cartridge. You need only to buy the cartridge, attach it to your battery, and you’re good to go.
Don’t Be Afraid to Try Something New
Live resin is one of the most unique ways to experiment with cannabis. So give it a shot. It could just be among your newest jams.
And if you own a cannabis business and need more effective exposure, contact us today. We’ve been in the business of cannabis marketing and public relations for a long time and know what works (and what doesn’t work) in this one-of-a-kind industry.