Cannabis lovers these days find themselves navigating a massive number of products, each promising unique benefits and experiences. If you aren’t an expert and just want to enjoy your weed, it can be tough to keep track.

Among these, live rosin, live resin, and shatter stand out as three popular types of cannabis concentrate, each with distinct production processes and qualities. But what exactly sets these products apart? Let’s break it down.

Live Rosin: Solventless Purity

Live rosin is celebrated as the gold standard in cannabis concentrates. Made using only heat and pressure using a solventless extraction process, it’s a cleaner choice for consumers prioritizing purity and natural flavours.

How is Live Rosin Made?

Live rosin begins with fresh, flash-frozen cannabis plants. These are frozen immediately after harvest to preserve their terpene and cannabinoid profiles. The frozen plant material is subjected to intense pressure and heat using a rosin press, resulting in a sticky, resinous extract.

Unlike extracts, live rosin doesn’t involve chemicals like butane or CO2.

Why Choose Live Rosin?

• Flavour Profile and Aroma: Live rosin retains the plant's full concentration of terpenes (typically referred to as "full spectrum" terpene content) offering a rich, aromatic, and flavorful experience.
• Purity: With its solventless process, live rosin is free from residual chemicals, appealing to health-conscious consumers.
• Versatility: Though most commonly used for dabbing, live rosin can also be vaped in cartridges.

Upsides? Downsides?

Live rosin is typically a more labour-intensive extraction process that requires high-quality weed as input material. This also generally makes it more expensive, but if you’re looking for a full-spectrum, solvent-free option, it’s worth the splurge.

Also, unlike extracts and concentrates that need chemical solvents (which can go boom if handled badly), rosin is much easier and safer to make at home using a rosin press.

Live Resin: Capturing The Plant’s Essence with Solvents

Live resin is another high-terpene concentrate, but unlike live rosin, it’s extracted using solvents like butane or CO2. It strikes a balance between flavor, potency, and affordability, making it a popular choice among cannabis consumers.

How Is Live Resin Made?

The key to live resin’s distinctive profile lies in its starting material. Like live rosin, it uses fresh-frozen cannabis plants, but the extraction method involves solvents. The frozen cannabis is placed in an extraction machine where solvents strip away cannabinoids and terpenes. The resulting mixture is then purged of solvents, creating a concentrate that maintains the plant’s natural chemical profile.

Key Characteristics of Live Resin

• Terpene-Rich Flavor: By skipping the drying and curing process, live resin preserves the plant’s fresh terpene profile, delivering vibrant, floral, or fruity flavors.
• Versatility in Textures: Live resin comes in various consistencies, such as sauce, sugar, budder, and diamonds, offering options for different preferences and uses.
• Potency: While not as potent as some isolated cannabinoid products, live resin delivers a balanced high due to its full-spectrum composition.

What Sets Live Resin Apart from Live Rosin?

The primary difference lies in the extraction process. Live resin uses solvents, which can achieve higher yields and a wider variety of textures. However, live rosin’s solventless nature appeals to purists who prioritize clean, chemical-free concentrates.

Shatter: The Glassy Classic

Shatter is one of the oldest and most recognizable cannabis concentrates. Known for its solid, translucent, glass-like appearance, it remains a go-to for those seeking a potent, cost-effective extract.

How Is Shatter Made?

Shatter is created using solvents, most commonly butane or hydrocarbons, in a process known as butane hash oil (BHO) extraction. Cannabis material is packed into a tube, and the solvent is pushed through, dissolving cannabinoids and terpenes. The mixture is then purged of residual solvents in a vacuum oven, leaving behind a concentrated extract.

Shatter’s Defining Traits

• Potency: Shatter often boasts high levels of THC, making it a powerful option for seasoned consumers.
• Appearance: Its iconic glassy structure is achieved by leaving the extract undisturbed during processing.
• Ease of Storage: Shatter’s solid consistency makes it easy to store, though this potent extract can be brittle and tricky to handle.

Comparing Live Rosin, Live Resin, and Shatter

Which Concentrates & Extracts Are Right for You?

• Choose live rosin products if you value a clean, solvent-free experience with maximum flavour and are willing to pay a premium for natural terpenes.
• Opt for live resin products if you’re seeking a terpene-rich concentrate with vibrant flavours at a slightly lower cost than live rosin.
• Go with shatter products if you prioritize potency, affordability and a long shelf life.