Is Live Resin Better?

Unlocking the Mysteries of Live Resin: A Journey into Cannabis' Aromatic Wonderland

Imagine this: a world where cannabis doesn't just hit you with a high but also tantalizes your senses with an explosion of fresh flavours and aromas. That's the realm of live resin, the rising star in the world of vapes. 

But, the question remains: outside of the marketing, hype and often contradictory information we find online, are live resin vapes truly better than distillate or BHO?

What Is Live Resin?

What sets live resin vapes apart from its distillate and other counterparts (like Butane Hash Oil aka: BHO) is its humble beginning. Instead of using dried and cured buds, live resin takes things up a significant notch. Live resin starts with fresh, frozen whole cannabis flowers. To achieve this, a special cryogenic cannon-looking device rolls out into the fields, and freezes the flowers as they are bucked off the stems and stalks of the cannabis plants. Barrels of this fresh frozen flower are then stored in extremely cold temperatures, and freshly extracted when it comes time to make the finished product.  

The secret of live resin's increased effects lies in the preservations of certain terpenes. When you extract oil from these fresh blooms, you capture a unique, vibrant scent that often vanishes during the curing process. It's literally like bottling the essence of a live cannabis plant. 

Lab tests reveal that live resin boasts a "fresh plant" terpene profile that outshines its dried and cured cousins. 

Cannabis contains 2 types of terpenes: lighter monoterpenes (like myrcene, limonene, terpinolene, and linalool) and heavier sesquiterpenes (like caryophyllene). Monoterpenes provide an airy, floral scent, while sesquiterpenes bring the robust notes like pepper, oregano, and hops.

Here's the juicy bit: live resin is richer in monoterpenes compared to products that undergo curing. But, even more significantly – live resin boasts a staggering 11% less sesquiterpenes than cured products like BHO. This means the ratio of delicate, fresh and floral terpenes is higher compared to the more robust, spicier terpenes. Not only are the more delicate and aromatic terpenes preserved, the more overpowering terpenes aren't as prominent, leaving live resin consumers with a much different flavour profile.

This is why live resin is described as tasting fresher, like a burst of cannabis straight from the garden.

Some users point out that live resin has less THC than distillate. This is correct, but this is in fact a strength of live resin, not a weakness. 

Distillate production targets only THC, thus creating a higher THC product. But this comes at the expense of both terpenes and minor cannabinoids like CBG, CBC, CBN, CBCA, etc. Vortex Pure Live Resin vapes contain about 16% terpenes, 80% THC, and 4% other cannabinoids. If you compare that to a distillate vape with 85 - 90% THC, it's obvious that there just isn't much room for terpenes or minor cannabinoids. So, if you're looking for a fuller, complex and more true-to-plant experience, live resin is the clear winner against distillate. 

LIVE RESIN FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Can you load up a cartridge with live resin? Absolutely! Whether you prefer puffing from a vape cartridge or getting your dab on with a solid form, live resin is versatile enough to satisfy both cravings.

What sets live resin apart from the cured variety? It all boils down to how it's made. Live resin comes to life from cannabis flowers that were flash-frozen right after harvest, while the cured stuff hails from well-dried and cured flowers. Also note that Vortex Pure Live resin is made with fresh frozen flowers, not stems, stalks or leaves.

Is flavoured live resin still considered "pure live resin"? Flavoured live resin is still made with 100% pure live resin. The only difference is that it also contains a small amount of natural flavour. 

What is Real vs. Fake Live Resin? Unfortunately, some so-called live resin products are not live resin at all. It's important to purchase your live resin from a reputable and experienced extracts manufacturer, preferably who harvests their own material. At Vortex, we use our own organically-grown, strain-specific cannabis to produce our live resin products. 

The eternal question: cured or live resin, which reigns supreme? The answer lies in your personal preference. But remember, live resin brings to the table 1) preserved aromatic monoterpenes, 2) a fresher flavour profile, 3) a generous helping of potency, and 4) a larger variety of cannabinoids than distillate. With all of these factors combined, users who prefer a full spectrum experience will lean towards live resin every single time.