Rosin is an increasingly popular cannabis concentrate solventless, meaning it does not use chemicals or solvents during extraction. This unique process relies on heat and pressure to extract cannabis compounds. Rosin is a clean extract, so it is relatively expensive, but it is a high-quality product. Read on to learn more.
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What is Live Rosin?
Rosin is a sticky cannabis extract created by applying heat and pressure to cannabis plant material. As a concentrate without residual solvents, it differs from resin, which is made by passing a chemical solvent through the cannabis. Cannabis can be pressed into rosin or used to turn into lower-quality bubble hash.
What is it made from?
Rosin can be made out of these cannabis parts:
- Flowers
- Kief
- Hash
- Trim
The higher the quality of the weed, the higher the quality of the rosin. People who consume rosin typically look for enhanced flavor and often use high-quality cannabis material to press during the production process.
Where did Rosin Originate?
Rosin was first introduced to the cannabis community in 2006 by a forum member named Compashon through ICMag. It began to gain notoriety in 2015 when Phil Salazar started making and recording it via photo and video.
What does it look and feel like?
Like most concentrates, the consistency of rosin can vary depending on the raw cannabis plant material used during production. The brightness of its golden color develops based on the strain, typically ranging from pale yellow to an orangish-golden color.
Live rosin can be sticky, soft, mushy like butter, or fluid-like, similar to oil. The amount and the type of terpenes typically play a significant role in determining the texture and consistency of rosin. It can break into crumbles, mold into wax, whip into badder or fluffy butter, or form crystal-like “diamonds.”
Why is Rosin Gaining Popularity?
People love rosin because it is flavorful and clean with a smooth smoke that doesn’t feel like they are inhaling harmful chemicals. Because of the terpene preservation, the taste is typically top quality. It can be a little less potent, though. You can make rosin at home with household tools or a rosin press, offering a relatively cheap and straightforward process to having your own at all times.
Types of Rosin
- Flower rosin uses dried plant parts. It is the most common source material for rosin, and is more flavorful than other types.
- Live rosin uses frozen weed plants as starting material which preserves terpenes and flavors.
- Hash rosin uses bubble or dry sift hash. The smoke is harsher than the other types but it is often more potent.
Rosin vs. Resin
Live rosin is solventless. This process uses heat and pressure to remove trichomes, often through a press. Live resin is made by putting frozen cannabis plants through solvent extraction using butane hash oil or propane. Both concentrates are considered “live” because they use a fresh frozen cannabis plant as the starting material. Neither method will require a drying and curing process.
What is distillate?
Distillate is a cannabis oil created when the resin is refined to remove toxins or isolate a compound. It does not use frozen cannabis plants as its source material. When distillate is processed, it doesn’t contain terpenes and provides a neutral flavor that some cannabis users prefer.
What about weed sauce and shatter?
Concentrates, by definition, are simply extracts derived from flowers, yet, how they are extracted determines the final product. Most concentrates are butane hash oil products, but they can differ from concentrate to concentrate. Cannabis plants are often pressed or combined with a solvent, and these solvents strip the terpenes and THC content from the plant.
Sauce concentrates combine a terpene-rich oil with THC crystals that give the sauce its potency. This gives it a texture similar to a dip, making it especially easy to use for dabs. Sauce concentrates take longer to synthesize, which explains their flavorful terpene-filled profile.
Shatter
Shatter, a reasonably popular concentrate derived using butane as its solvent, is known for its translucent swiss cheese appearance. When poked with a dab tool, it can shatter into smaller pieces, making it easy to portion out for a smoke session. Shatter is also typically the most potent out of the bunch, making it a crowd favorite.
How to Use Rosin
The three most prevalent ways to use live rosin are dabbing, vaping, or topping off your joints and bowls.
Dabbing
Dab rigs are a great addition and a must-have for any enthusiasts of wax concentrates. A dab rig serves a particular purpose, as it’s uniquely able to process wax and concentrates much more efficiently than a regular water pipe could.
Dabbing is the most common way people consume live rosin. A dab rig, torch, nail, or an e-rig is used to dab live wax. Given the consistency, you’ll need a dab tool to place the concentrate in the dabber, most likely something with a scoop.
Vaping
Live rosin comes in disposable cartridges, similar to other concentrates, but smoother and tastier. To use them, screw the cart onto a charged battery, warm it up, and let it rip.
Topping Off Buds
Live rosin can top off a bowl, joint, or blunt for an added experience. Use a dab tool to place some of the sticky goodness on the top of the bowl or inside the joint paper.
How to Store Rosin
When storing rosin, do not leave your concentrates in direct sunlight or anywhere that’s excessively hot or humid. Rosins are especially sensitive to high temperatures and can be stored safely in your fridge.
Keeping live rosin in a cool environment like the refrigerator will preserve its terpenes and keep it tasting and smelling great. A glass, airtight container would work best. Leaving it out will dry it out and cause the terpenes to deteriorate.
Can I Make Rosin at Home?
Yes. There are various methods to make pressed rosin, hash, or kief to make solventless rosin at home. A small DIY rosin press can be purchased, but they are expensive. There are cheaper methods to create rosin by using irons, and hair straighteners with many online how-to videos. You’ll need some supplies like parchment paper, cannabis flower, and a press to make this solventless hash oil.
How Does Posting About Weed on Instagram Affect the Perception of Weed Rosin?
Posting about weed on Instagram can significantly impact the perception of weed rosin. Adhering to the weed and Instagram posting guidelines can help to shape a positive image of the product, while disregarding these guidelines can lead to negative associations and potential consequences.
Where to Find Rosin
Due to the extensive extraction process, live rosin production can be expensive, but it is becoming easier to find. When it first hit the cannabis market, the rosin was new and rare and sold at extremely high prices, but that has lowered a bit as production has become more prevalent substantially. You can typically find rosin vapes and concentrates in licensed online and brick-and-mortar dispensaries. Ask your local budtender for guidance.
Final Thoughts
At Leafy Mate, we’re here to guide you through the benefits and ways to use live rosin. We are happy to help you navigate the ins and outs of cannabis concentrates and the different extraction methods. Live rosin is a flavorful, clean, and potent option we recommend purchasing from a trusted dispensary.
