Understanding Cured Resin vs Live Resin

Understanding Cured Resin vs Live Resin

If you’ve consumed cannabis concentrates before, you’ve probably seen many options. This includes live resin and cured resin. Resin is a substance that’s naturally produced in the cannabis plant’s trichomes. It contains many of the active compounds cannabis is known for, like THC, CBD, and terpenes. 

Live resin and cured resin have distinct characteristics. They can also offer unique experiences. Knowing the differences can help you better decide on your cannabis purchase. Continue reading to find out more about what live and cured resin are and how to find out which type is suitable for you.

How Cured Resin Is Made

Cured resin is the extract from the dried and cured cannabis flower. It’s produced using cannabis that has already been through a drying and curing process. This usually takes a few weeks, from drying the fresh cannabis flower, then curing it to stabilize its moisture levels and enhance its flavor. 

To cure it, the dried cannabis flower is exposed to a solvent and hydrocarbons to extract the terpenes and cannabinoids. The solvent is then removed by purging, leaving a potent resin concentrate with which producers can create various textures to produce different products. 

How Live Resin Is Made

Live resin is also a popular type of cannabis concentrate available in many cannabis products. Cannabis consumers usually enjoy live resin since it offers an experience that’s similar to a fresh plant, rich in aroma and terpenes. Unlike cured resin, which is derived from dried cannabis flowers, live resin is made from freshly harvested cannabis plants. This helps to capture and preserve the plant’s fully natural terpene profile.

To make live resin, a cannabis plant goes through a flash-freezing process immediately after it’s harvested. As with cured resin extraction, the frozen plant then undergoes extraction at a low temperature using a solvent to extract the cannabinoids and terpenes. The mixture is then purged of any residual solvent. This results in an aromatic, flavorful, and highly potent concentrate. The concentrate is then processed into various textures.

Differences in Flavor, Aroma, and Potency

Depending on your preference, you may want to pick either live or cured resin in your cannabis products. Here are some key differences between the two so you can better understand their flavor profiles:

Consistency

One of the most significant differences between cured resin and live resin is their consistency. Live resin usually has a sap-like or sticky texture due to its higher terpene content. Since it has a viscous texture, you typically need to handle the concentrate with tools. Cured resin has a more solid texture. Common ones include a wax-like texture or a brittle, glass-like texture that shatters easily. 

Here are some standard formats you may see cured and live resin in:

• Cured resin: Wax, shatter, crumble
• Live resin: Live sugar, live badder

Flavor and Aroma

Live resin’s flavors are often close to the original cannabis strain, since the flash-freezing extraction process helps to preserve the terpenes in it. It has a strong, full flavor profile, with vibrant, fruity notes due to its higher terpene levels. 

Cured resin has a milder profile and is less potent compared to live resin. Since it’s derived from a dried cannabis flower, it also keeps the profile of the dried bud, exhibiting warm, earthy, and herbal flavors and aromas.

It’s worth noting that resin flavors can vary depending on the cannabis strains from which they are extracted. Resins derived from low-quality plants will typically have a more bland and, in some cases, bitter taste. That’s why it’s always best to source from reputable brands. 

That said, the easiest way to catch the nuances in flavor and aroma, regardless of the extract, is to vape at a lower voltage. Doing so allows you to experience the distinctive flavor of each extract. 

Potency

Another big difference between cured resin and live resin is their potency, also known as the amount of THC in them. Live resin often has a stronger potency since it contains higher terpene and cannabinoid (THC and CBD) levels. This is because of the resin being extracted from fresh plants, resulting in a higher cannabinoid concentration. The high concentration of terpenes and cannabinoids in live resin contributes to its unique therapeutic benefits.

Cured resin has a slightly lower cannabinoid concentration. It also has lower terpene content since much of it is degraded during the drying process. Even so, cured resin can still be quite potent depending on the strain and the extraction process employed.

Which Resin Type Is Right For You?

Picking the resin type for your product really boils down to a few factors: your budget and personal preferences. Here’s a good way for you to decide which resin type you’d like to go with:

Pick cured resin if you:

• Prefer an earthy and mild aroma and flavor profile that resembles dried cannabis flowers
• Prefer more classic aromas
• Are on a budget, since cured resin is often priced lower than live resin
• Are new to cannabis and want something milder

Go with live resin if you:

• Want a strong flavor and aroma in your concentrate
• Want something fresh and fruity
• Are willing to spend more, since live resin often has a higher price point
• Want to experience a rich and robust flavor

Explore Resin Options at UpLift

Ready to experience the various resin types today? At Uplift Ohio, we have both options through a wide variety of concentrates. We’re conveniently located in Ohio, at Milford and Mt. Orab, with both locations offering an array of edibles, flowers, vaporizers, topicals, and more. We also have a team of cannabis experts who are well-equipped to guide you through your purchase process. 

Contact us to find out more, or head on down to our two locations. You can also browse our specials for great deals if you’re looking to try any of our options at a lower price.

Cannabis Buds and Dab taken by RDNE Stock project licensed by Pexels license