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AboutLive resin is a solvent extract: fresh frozen cannabis is washed with butane or propane in a closed loop system, and the solvent is purged out afterward. Live rosin is solventless: the same fresh frozen plant is washed into bubble hash with ice water, dried and pressed with heat. Live rosin usually costs more and stays closer to the plant.
Live rosin vs live resin at a glance
Live rosin vs live resin at a glance, side by side:
| Live rosin | Live resin | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts as | Fresh frozen cannabis | Fresh frozen cannabis |
| Extracted with | Ice water, then heat and pressure | Butane or propane |
| Solvent | None, at any step | Purged out afterward |
| Made in | Small, slow batches | Larger batches in a closed loop lab |
| Price | Usually higher | Usually lower |
What live resin is
Live resin is a hydrocarbon extract made from fresh frozen cannabis. The frozen plant is washed with a solvent, usually butane or propane, in a sealed closed loop system that dissolves the resin out of it; the solvent is then purged from the oil. It is the solvent made version of the same idea, and it is covered in live resin.
Live rosin vs resin
Live rosin vs resin is a mix-up worth clearing up, because resin has more than one meaning in cannabis, as The Press Club points out. On its own, resin is the oily stuff inside the trichomes, the very thing rosin is pressed out of. Set next to live rosin, resin is usually short for live resin, the hydrocarbon extract.
What live rosin is
Live rosin is pressed, not extracted. The fresh frozen plant is washed into bubble hash with nothing but ice and water, the hash is dried, and the rosin is pressed out of it with gentle heat through a fine bag. Nothing is purged because nothing was added. More in live rosin.
Is live rosin better than live resin?
Whether live rosin is better than live resin depends on what you value. Live rosin has no solvent anywhere in its making and tastes closest to the plant; live resin is cheaper and can be very flavorful in its own right. Bubbleman has heard every argument: when rosin first came out, butane makers said pressing at 180 to 200 degrees would destroy the terpenes, while the rosin he cracked open reeked all the way across a football stadium.
From the archive: Bubbleman on rosin and BHO
From the archive, Bubbleman on rosin and BHO in his own words, from two live Sunday shows. Tap a time to hear that moment.
I don’t see the rosin guys concerning themselves with BHO the way the BHO guys seem to be very concerned with the rosin guys.
On the rivalry
When we first released rosin, how many of those BHO guys were like, oh, the rosin, you’re heating that… to 180 degrees or 200 originally?… That’s destroying all the volatile organic compounds. In the meantime, I’ve got rosin in my hand that I crack open and it reeks on the other side of the football stadium.
On whether heat kills the terpenes
Why live rosin costs more than live resin
Live rosin costs more than live resin because it is slower and harder to make. It needs plants that wash well, a wash, a freeze dryer and a press, all in small batches, and with nothing purged afterward, only excellent starting material makes excellent rosin. Solvent extraction runs larger batches with less labor, which keeps live resin cheaper.
Hash rosin vs live resin
Hash rosin vs live resin is the same split with one change: hash rosin is pressed from bubble hash made from dried plants rather than fresh frozen ones. It is still solventless, and it still costs more than most hydrocarbon extracts.
Solventless vs solvent extracts
Solventless vs solvent extracts is the bigger divide behind live resin vs live rosin: hash, dry sift and rosin are made with water, screens, heat and pressure; live resin, shatter, wax and distillate are made with solvents. What the word means, and why it matters to hash makers, is in solventless.
Live resin vs rosin questions
Live resin vs rosin questions, answered short:
What is the difference between live resin and rosin?
The difference between live resin and rosin is the solvent: live resin is extracted from fresh frozen cannabis with butane or propane, while rosin is pressed out with heat and pressure and no solvent at all.
Is live resin or rosin better?
Live rosin is usually considered the cleaner, more plant-true product because no solvent touches it; live resin is cheaper and can be very flavorful. Which is better comes down to taste and budget.
Is live resin solventless?
No, live resin isn’t solventless. It is extracted with a hydrocarbon solvent such as butane or propane, which is purged out afterward.
Is live rosin stronger than live resin?
Live rosin isn’t reliably stronger than live resin; strength depends on the plant and the batch. The real differences are how they are made, how they taste and what they cost.
Why is live rosin more expensive than live resin?
Live rosin is more expensive because it is made in small batches through a wash, a dry and a press, and needs plants that wash well. Solvent extraction is faster and cheaper at scale.
Sources for this comparison
Sources for this live rosin vs live resin comparison:
- Live rosin vs live resin: what’s the difference?, The Press Club
- Live rosin vs live resin, Low Temp Industries
- Hash Church Season 12, Episodes 17 and 30: Bubbleman on rosin and BHO, linked above