Today, there are a lot of different options of marijuana concentrates available. Every day, it seems like a new form for you to try. Varieties of options in cannabis concentrates make the process a bit overwhelming.
In this article, we will discuss the two specific forms of cannabis concentrates, that are very popular among the users, Live Resin vs. Shatter, and how both are different from one another, when differences will be clear, finding your favorite weed concentrate is easier than before.
How Cannabis Concentrates are Made?
Marijuana concentrates can be made in different ways. Most companies use solvents to help break down plant matter and just leave the precious, potent oils remaining. The solvents that are used for extraction processes are butane, ethanol, and CO2, however, CO2 is the more preferable choice because of its cleanliness and purity.
To make the concentrates with solvents, a manufacturer will either blast the plant matter or soak it in the solvent to destroy all physical plant matter. After that, the remaining oils undergo strict purging processes, where all of the solvents have been removed.
If you don’t want to use any solvent for the extraction process, You can make the cannabis concentrates without solvents too. Dry sift resin, hash oil, and ice water hash are all great extract options that are made completely without the use of solvents.
The flash freezing technique or a sifting method, all these processes allows for plant matter to completely separate from the hash, trichomes, and, of course, cannabinoids.
Shatter
Shatter concentrates undergo intense rigorous extraction and purification processes to achieve a clear, nearly translucent composition. They are transparent and fragile.
Live Resin
Live Resin is a weed concentrate that is highly individualistic. It is made using a specialized flash-freezing technique. In this technique, the plant material itself is frozen before and during extraction, creating a product that effectively preserves full-plant compounds.
Live resin has incredibly distinct flavor profiles with every weed strain because of preserving phytochemicals like terpenes and flavonoids. But, how exactly does this compare to other weed concentrates like Shatter?
Shatter vs. Live Resin
When you compare shatter with Live Resin, you will find it like night and day. Their consistency is completely different from each other.
Shatter contains an extremely low terpene content. To get it, the wax, a cannabis concentrate undergoes various purification and filtration processes. While this is great for getting the purest product possible, it also destroys the various terpenes and flavonoids the plant contains. This creates the translucent appearance you love but also results in quite an everyday taste.
A shatter is a great option for those cannabis users who are looking for an uplift of mood, a blissful high and enjoy a fun experience with cannabis.
On other hand, Live Resin is incredibly pungent than shatter. It is made with the flash-frozen method, which retains the terpenes like none other. With this information, it seems as though live resin does have the ability to be a bit more potent than shatter, even if shatter contains higher THC percentages.
Live Resin is used for pain relief or relaxation, it is full of soothing characteristics that’ll boost your mood and help you feel your best.
Which is better ‘Live Resin or Shatter’?
Live Resin is overall more potent than shatter, and the harmonious blend of terpenes and cannabinoids will help more with pain or sleep. The effect of Live Resin feels more full-bodied and potent than shatter whose terpenes and flavonoids have been stripped.
How To Consume Your Favorite Cannabis Concentrates?
Whether you love the potency of live resin or the purity of shatter, you can enjoy marijuana concentrates in different ways. Each type of concentrate has a unique way to consume it. Two of the best ways to get the full flavor profiles and cannabinoid potencies are through dabbing and vaping.
Dabbing Live resin or shatter, both require some tools that you will find at your local smoke shop.
- You’ll need a dab rig, a dab tool, a carb cap, and a torch.
- Just scoop a dab of your favorite concentrate onto your dab tool, and then heat the rig using your torch.
- Wait until the banger of the rig is red hot, or about 550 degrees Fahrenheit to stop heating.
- Wait around 30 seconds, and then place the dab into the banger and inhale.
- Cover the banger with the carb cap, continue to inhale, and then exhale the delicious smoke.
If dabbing sounds too complicated, you can use the other method ‘vaping’ too. To achieve this, you only need a tool known as vaping pen or vaporizer, fill the vaping chamber, turn on the device, and wait for it to heat up to the desired or ideal temperature to vape your concentrate.
Vape pens are available in both disposable and reusable forms. The ideal ones for vaping live resin or shatter are reusable.
Difference Between Live Resin and Shatter
Live Resin and shatter have some characteristics that make them quite different. The differences are seen in their appearance also, due to post-processing techniques.
As we mentioned above, the most significant difference between shatter and live resin is its appearance. Shatter has a crystal structure that is almost transparent and translucent with a bright amber color. On the other side, Live resin has a sugar-like appearance generated by small crystallizations of trichomes.
THC Levels
The THC levels depend on the raw material used to obtain the desired final product. However, the live resin can feel overall more potent than other concentrates as it retains more cannabis-active components like terpenes and flavonoids. All terpenes and flavonoids working along with cannabinoids make the effects of consuming live resin feel more full-bodied than shatter.
Terpene Levels
When it comes to terpenes, the live resin has more than shatter, because the process used to obtain the shatter destroys the terpenes and flavonoids and leaves the THC in a more pure or isolated state. Live resin is more flavorful and aromatic than shatter as the first one preserves the smell and taste of the living plant.
Texture
Live resin is usually found in a bit waxy and sometimes, like medium-diluted sugar while shatter has a hard-candy to translucent gummy appearance, and depending on the applied process, it can sometimes be a bit more malleable and sometimes more brittle.
Final thoughts:
Live resin is a cannabis concentrate that is unlike any other. When comparing it to other concentrates, you will know how incredibly unique this extract is in its appearance, its properties, and its effects.
Whenever you are looking for a high-quality shatter or live resin, you can buy live resin or shatter from to-go weed. Our cannabis concentrates are premium and made from safe extraction processes.