The cannabis market has come a long way since the days when patients with medical cards were mostly limited to getting flower and tinctures from dispensaries. In the competitive recreational markets, cannabis connoisseurs enjoy seeing menus that offer a nice range of products that include the new wave of concentrates. Resin, shard, budder, distillate, diamonds, and rosin are relatively new developments in the market, and they deliver unique experiences.
Resin generally refers to any concentrated form of cannabis trichomes, the tiny hair-like glands of the flower. Hashish, for example, is an ancient cannabis concentrate from Central Asia that Marco Polo wrote about during his expeditions in the 12th century. To a certain extent, the cannabis distillates known as “THC oil” are also concentrates because they contain a higher concentration of cannabinoids and the same can be said about tinctures.
Live resin is a cannabis concentrate produced from fresh or flash-frozen cannabis flowers. Cured resin is made from dried and cured cannabis flowers, as opposed to fresh or frozen material. The cured resin process removes moisture and allows the flavors and aromas to mature, similar to how fine wines are aged. In general, live resin delivers a brighter and fruitier flavor profile thanks to the preservation of a wider range of terpenes. When the resin is cured, the removed moisture allows the flavors and aromas to mature, similar to how fine wines are aged.
When you choose cured over live, there’s a good chance you’ll get a more potent experience. You may also get a strain you are not familiar with because only a few exotics are suitable for curing.