The Different Types of Cannabis Concentrate: Resin, Rosin, Hash, and Distillate
There are tons of products in the stores all under the label of “concentrates,” so it can be a little confusing to choose which form of cannabis concentrate to purchase. We’re here to break it down so you can feel good about feeling good on your next trip to the dispo.
1. Resin. (image from Leafly)
Resin is basically the sap of the cannabis plant, and is the reason your fingers are sticky after you touch the plant’s flower.
Resin is made up of terpenes and the tiny hair-like structures called trichomes. These trichomes are what hold cannabinoids such as THC, which is what gives cannabis its potency.
Resin can be used in several forms cured by many different methods, but one of the freshest is known as “live resin.”
Live resin is the purest form of resin, as it is made by taking fresh trimmed flower and freezing it so all the plant matter stays intact. It is then processed into oil (by a few different extraction methods using solvents) without any form of heat, so none of the tasty cannabinoids and terpenes are burned away.
Cured resin usually goes through the same solvent process that live resin does, except the plant matter hasn’t been fresh frozen; it’s been dried and cured already. The heat from the drying process will take a little potency out of the resin, so if you’re looking for a potent resin to spark some joy, try live!
Check out our live resin cartridges from Higher Cultures here.
2. Rosin (image from gopurepressure.com)
Rosin is a substance made from cannabis without the use of solvents. It is typically processed with heat or pressure, so no solvents are necessary.
“Live” rosin has the same start as live resin, meaning the plants are frozen fresh. But it is then heated and squished into a rosin press. This combination of heat and pressure gives us live rosin.
3. Hash (image from Leafly)
Hash (or hashish) is also created from the resin glands/trichomes of the cannabis plant. The trichomes are dried and pressed into a powder, which can be turned into a variety of other cannabis products, like oil or infused joints.
Oil made from Hash is much more potent than other types of oil, because it is made directly from the resin glands, which are the structures that hold cannabinoids like THC.
Other forms of cannabis can have lower potency due to processing, which, depending on the method, can lower the strength of the product.
4. Distillate (image from Leafly)
Distillate is what we get when we strip all other cannabinoids and terpenes besides the specific desired ones from cannabis extracts.
Distillate can be very potent, but it lacks all the yummy terpenes that make cannabis so great.
Terpenes can have many beneficial effects on the human body, and are what make certain strains enjoyable. This can lead to companies attempting to put terpenes back into the product, which don’t always come from cannabis. They can come from laboratories (which make them from fruit or other plants) and can potentially be harmful.
You can read more about this process here.
Which is your preferred method?
Sources:Bennet, Patrick. Leafly. What are live resin cannabis concentrates? July 8, 2020. https://www.leafly.com/news/cannabis-101/what-is-live-resin-cannabis-concentrateRanda, Canna. EarthMed. Live Resin: What is it, and How to Use It? April 25, 2023. https://earthmed.com/blog/live-resin-what-is-it-and-how-to-use-itWikipedia. Hashish. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hashish