Live Resin 101 (And Why It's Your New Favorite Concentrate)

There are dozens of cannabis concentrates out there today, so why is live resin so highly respected and sought after? Unlike other forms of THC concentrate, live resin is made with fresh marijuana buds—not dried-out leaf like other products. This results in a more flavorful and vibrant product. In this article, we’ll break down how live resin is made, what makes it unique compared to other concentrates, how to store it, and more.

Things You Should Know

Live resin is made by flash-freezing fresh marijuana plants and then extracting the THC. The result is a potent, flavorful wax.
The live resin process preserves the terpenes of the plant, which are the compounds responsible for the flavor and aroma of THC.
Store live resin in an airtight container in your fridge to prevent it from going bad prematurely.

Section 1 of 8:

What is live resin?

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Live resin is a highly potent form of cannabis concentrate. A cannabis concentrate refers to any potent THC product that has been extracted from the plant. There are tons of different ways to create concentrates and they all resemble honey, butter, or oil. Unlike traditional concentrates, live resin is made with flash-frozen, fresh marijuana buds to preserve the flavors and potency of the plant.^{[1]
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- Concentrates are normally made by pouring a solvent, like butane, over the marijuana. Live resin is made this way as well, but the use of fresh marijuana and the flash-freezing process make live resin completely unique.
- Live resin is special because flash-freezing fresh buds preserve the terpenes of the marijuana plant better than other concentrates. Terpenes are the primary constituents of the oils that give marijuana its flavor and aroma.^{[2]
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- Live resin is not automatically more potent when it comes to the THC levels. It is normally more flavorful, though.^{[3]
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Section 2 of 8:

How is live resin made?

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Fresh buds are flash frozen and then the THC is extracted. Most manufacturers prune fresh cannabis plants and immediately hang the plants in freezers that stay around −13 °F (−25 °C). Once frozen, the manufacturer extracts the THC by soaking the plants in butane, propane, or some other solvent. The extraction is then purged in a vacuum oven to remove any chemicals, leaving the fresh THC concentration behind.^{[4]
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- Once cooled, the remaining THC material is collected into a thick butter-like substance. From there, it can be packaged and sold in a cartridge, in an oil, or in a raw butter form.

Section 3 of 8:

How do you use live resin?

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Live resin can be dabbed, vaped, or added to traditional flower. To smoke resin, you can dab the wax using a dabbing rig or vaporizer. Alternatively, live resin is also sold in vape cartridges that can be attached to a vape pen. Finally, you can add a small dollop of live resin to a bowl or pipe that’s packed with traditional marijuana to give it an extra punch.^{[5]
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- If you don’t want to smoke the live resin, there’s nothing wrong with eating it or baking with it.

Section 4 of 8:

What are the benefits of live resin?

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A richer terpene profile leads to more robust flavors. If you enjoy the flavor of marijuana, live resin is a product worth looking into. Most concentrates are made with dried-out buds, and the curing process tends to remove a lot of the more potent terpenes. Live resin doesn’t have this problem since the flash-freezing preserves the dynamic flavors.^{[6]
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- Not everybody loves the taste of marijuana! If you just like the high without the taste or aroma, live resin probably isn’t for you.
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The THC content of live resin is highly preserved. The freezing and straining process for live resin doesn’t lose a lot of THC. As a result, live resin tends to be very high in THC, at least compared to traditional “flower” marijuana.^{[7]
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- With that said, live resin isn’t automatically going to have a higher THC content than other concentrates. It’s probably going to beat smoking the plant every single time, though.
This is a bit subjective, it depends on the strain, and every marijuana consumer is different, but there seems to be a general consensus that live resin highs tend to be very potent but mellow. In other words, quality is rarely a concern with live resin products.^{[8]
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The aromatic nature of live resin is highly sought after. Live resin smells bolder and more complex than a lot of other THC concentrates out there. It’s not flower, just too be clear. If you’re looking for a less harsh smoking experience and you really enjoy the aroma of marijuana, live resin is a great option for you.^{[9]
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- Flower is always going to trump concentrates when it comes to odors, but for a concentrate, live resin tends to be more aromatic than other options.

Section 5 of 8:

What are the risks of live resin?

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Live resin products are occasionally sold with dangerous chemicals. Concentrates are sort of the Wild West when it comes to marijuana. Innovation happens fast and regulation is often slow to catch up. As a result, some live resin products are occasionally found to contain banned or dangerous chemicals so always buy your products from a reputable, licensed shop near you.^{[10]
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- The problems with live resin products are most commonly found in vape cartridges that come from abroad and are sold illegally under the table. That’s why it’s important to buy from reputable sellers.
- Stick with products with name brands that are well-known and popularly sold. The more obscure the product, the bigger the risk.
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Live resin is extremely potent and it’s easy to overdo it. If you are not a seasoned marijuana user, live resin is not for you. THC concentrates are generally very powerful, and live resin is no exception. When you smoke it, you’re consuming a huge dose of THC very quickly. With regular marijuana flower, you burn away a lot of the THC and terpenes. That doesn’t happen with live resin, so don’t start here if you’re new to marijuana.
- In extreme cases, immediate delivery of high levels of THC can induce paranoia, psychosis, or insomnia.^{[11]
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- A lot of novice smokers “green out” on live resin. This is where you get so much THC that you get anxious and uncomfortable.^{[12]
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Putting anything in your lungs, other than air, carries risks. We’re not going to sit here and tell you that vaping or dabbing THC concentrates is as dangerous as a lot of other drugs out there, but it’s not risk-free. Human lungs are not designed to process anything other than natural oxygen, and putting anything in your lungs carries health risks.^{[13]
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Johns Hopkins Medicine
Official resource database of the world-leading Johns Hopkins Hospital

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- Substance abuse of any kind can also lead to addictive patterns of behavior. There’s a common myth out there that you can’t become addicted to marijuana, but that’s simply not true. If you’re going to use live resin, moderation is key.^{[14]
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Section 6 of 8:

How do you store live resin?

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Keep live resin in an airtight container in your fridge. Keep live resin in a cool, dark area to preserve all of the terpenes. It won’t go bad if you keep it at room temperature, but the flavor will degrade over time. Avoid putting the live resin in the freezer, since terpenes are volatile and degrade quickly in the freezer.^{[15]
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- Storage is less of a concern if you have live resin cartridges since those are already airtight. Still, keeping them in your fridge will help preserve them.
- Live resin will remain usable for up to one year after it’s produced.^{[16]
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Section 7 of 8:

Is live resin better than other concentrates?

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No, this is entirely a matter of personal preference. Is whiskey better than vodka or gin? It’s all opinion at the end of the day. Every concentrate product has its own pros and cons, so don’t stick to live resin just because it’s so potent and flavorful. Experiment with different concentrates to find the product you like best.^{[17]
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- Don’t forget that the strain of marijuana plays a huge part in whether you like a particular product as well.

Section 8 of 8:

Live Resin vs. Other Concentrates

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Cured resin vs. live resin Cured resin (aka “dead” resin) is made the exact same way as live resin with two major differences. Cured resin is not flash-frozen and the marijuana flower is not fresh. Since the flower is dried out instead of frozen, cured resin is usually cheaper and less flavorful than live resin.^{[18]
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- A lot of marijuana users prefer cured resin because it smells and tastes more like traditional flower.
- Cured resin is stored at room temperature. Live resin is best stored in the fridge if you aren’t going to consume it within a few days.
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Live rosen vs. live resin No, that’s not a typo. Rosen is produced using heat and pressure to extract the THC from the flower. That process does extract some of the terpenes that are left behind in live resin. As a result, rosen tends to be less flavorful and potent than resin.^{[19]
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- Rosen is also popular because you can make it at home with a hair straightener, wax paper, and cannabis buds. This isn’t the case with other concentrates.
- Rosen also tends to be cheaper than live resin. Resin can run $20-70 a gram, but rosen will rarely exceed $40.
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Distillate vs. live resin Distillate is the “old school” concentrate. It’s made by soaking the cannabis in a solvent like ethanol. Then, it is purified in a process known as winterization. This process strips the terpenes, which are usually artificially added back to the wax or oil before being sold. The resulting product is often kind of cheap tasting compared to other concentrates.^{[20]
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- Very few people intentionally opt for distillate products these days unless they’re on a budget. However, this can be a great option if you’re brand new to concentrates. Just make sure you choose a reputable distillate brand. If you’re going to buy distillate, don’t buy it under the table at some seedy gas station.
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Sauce vs. live resin Sauce, also known as terp sauce or terpene sauce, is basically live resin with an additional step added at the end. In a drawn-out process known as nucleation, the terpenes and crystals are separated from the live resin. The result is a goopy liquid that resembles barbeque sauce. Live resin is a much thicker product.^{[21]
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- “Sauce” is the new kid on the block. The process is an attempt to make live resin even more flavorful and potent than it already is. If you’re really into marijuana and concentrates, give this stuff a shot if it pops up at your local dispensary.
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Shatter vs. live resin Shatter is a glass-like product that is popular because it’s economical and potent. It’s made similarly to live resin, but the extracted THC is blasted with heat and air to harden it. It’s very similar to live resin, but usually a little cheaper. However, it’s rarely as flavorful as live resin.^{[22]
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- Shatter has a reputation for being the best “bang for your buck” concentrate. It’s not considered as luxurious as live resin, though.

Expert Q&A

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Question

Can I make edible brownies infused with resin?

Lauren Forsch
CBD Expert
Lauren Forsch is a CBD Expert and Founder of Popped.NYC based in New York. Popped.NYC is a cannabis company and lifestyle brand that creates CBD products designed to provide people with relief and promote wellness, self-care, and health. With first-hand experience of managing physical pain and anxiety, Lauren found relief from plant-based, CBD remedies. She created Popped.NYC from a desire to help people manage their pain and offers consultations and a wide variety of handmade, THC-free, vegan CBD products.

Lauren Forsch

CBD Expert

Expert Answer

Yes, but I’d recommend starting out with something less concentrated than resin, especially if you're new to edibles. Resin is super potent, and it’s easy to go overboard, so experimenting with flowers first is a better option. After that, you can infuse it into butter or oil, which is perfect for brownies. If you’re just starting out, try using a pre-made mix like Ghirardelli brownies (Costco has them, and they’re amazing). You can experiment with the potency of your infused butter and adjust as you go. Remember, edibles take time to kick in, so start low and slow. Keep an open mind and give yourself time to figure out what works best for your body—it’s all part of the process!

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