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WTF is Live Resin?
July 2, 2019
Everything you always wanted to know about live-resin cannabis extracts.
Live cannabis resin is something you’re probably seeing more and more. Why? Simple, live-resin extracts are super tasty. But you may have some questions like, WTF is Live Resin, Is it alive, or even, What in tarnation is going on here?! So we’ve got all your questions answered--unless you asked the last question, then this article isn’t for you, Yosemite Sam.
What is Live Resin? A Definition.
Simply put, live resin is a cannabis concentrate made from flower that hasn’t been cured or dried like the majority of cannabis products to retain the terpenes and flavors. Instead, freshly picked buds are frozen immediately after harvest to preserve the full flavor profile of the strain before extraction.
What’s so bad about dried cannabis flower? Nothing! However, it’s been shown that cannabis left to cure for a week at room temperature loses 31% of its terpenes. [Insert crying face here.]
Live resin is available in a wide array of products because it ranges in viscosity; mostly due to terpene concentration. You’ll commonly find live resin in oil cartridges, butters, sugars, and sauces.
So, What’s Live-Resin Sauce?
“Sauce” usually refers to the consistency of an extract that contains high levels of terpenes. Sauces can either be made with cured (where it loses many of its terpenes) or fresh-frozen (remember our lesson above?) plant material, so look for “Live-Resin Sauce” for the most flavorful experience.
How is Live Resin made?
Immediately after harvest, whole-plant material is frozen and kept at sub-zero temperatures to preserve the terpenes and flavor profile of the live flower.
On its own, live resin sauce is not viscous enough to work in vape carts or pods (and the sauce fraction of live resin is also very low in THCa potency). So we’ve formulated our live-resin products with a base of pure and potent distillate oil that gives it the proper consistency for vaporization. But, why distillate oil?
- Because it’s super potent.
- Distillate oil has no flavor or scent on its own, so allows the flavor of the live-resin sauce we add to truly shine through.
Is Live Resin considered to be a “Full Spectrum Extract?”
Yes! Since our fresh flower material is frozen and kept at subzero temperatures, we’re able to retain the full spectrum of compounds available. During the curing process, many terpenes are lost, but by freezing flower we are able to retain a broad range of cannabinoids and supporting terpenes. You could say live-resin extract is actually a fuller spectrum!
How to store Live Resin.
It’s summer, which means it’s WARM. Unfortunately, for already viscous live-resin products, this can mean it’s also leak-season if products aren’t properly stored.
How can you extend the life of your live resin products?
ABX live-resin products are made with distillate and live resin, and the viscosity of these oils could shift if stored improperly.
Store in an upright position at room temperature to ensure the oil stays settled in the pod.
The small, rubber mouthpiece should also be kept in place when not in use to ensure the maximum life of the pods.
Should oil accumulate around the mouthpiece, a clean cotton ball (or cloth) with isopropyl rubbing alcohol can be used to easily clean the mouthpiece.
Where can I find Live Resin?
You’re in luck! Our LOUD+CLEAR lineup is formulated with a blend of delicious live-resin terpenes, CO2-extracted cannabis terpenes, and pure distillate cannabis oil, achieving potencies upward of 80%. Oh, and they’re super tasty.
We also launched ABX Live pods that are a blend of strain-specific live resin and high-potency distillate cannabis oil, delivering true-to-flower cannabis taste and effects. ABX Live pods snap into our cool new CCELL Dart for a heavy-hitting flavor experience.
These products are the closest representation to dabbing that you can experience in a handheld format without needing a dab rig. And just like dabbables, our live-resin products are constantly rotating for the freshest strains and seasonal drops so our product lineup represents the best of that season’s harvest. It also means we’re always releasing small-batch strains, so keep an eye out for these tasty live-resin products available in dispensaries across California.