There are various ways to enjoy cannabis. There’s the traditional method of smoking using pipes, bongs, or roll-ups; consuming edibles, and smoking resin. Resin is a concentrated form of cannabis and is very much worth trying.

What Is Cannabis Resin?

Cannabis resin is a light to dark brown, sticky substance found on the trichomes of a cannabis plant. Trichomes appear on flowers and sugar leaves of mature female plants. These trichomes produce all of the medical efficacy and psychoactive effects of marijuana. Resin is considered the most valuable part of the plant and delivers the majority of the psychoactive compound THC. Products containing resin are called concentrates

Cannabis resin is the light to dark brown sticky substance found on the trichomes of a cannabis plant. This sap-like plant byproduct is considered the most valuable part of the plant and delivers the prime majority of the psychoactive compound THC. Products containing resin are called concentrates. There are several ways that resins can be harvested to produce concentrates, such as butane hash oil, live resin, and rosin.

How Is Resin Made?

How resin is made varies depending on the type of resin. Techniques range from simple application of pressure and heat to complex processes requiring expensive lab equipment and trained technicians. Live resin is made by flash-freezing the cannabis plant immediately after harvest, ensuring that all of the compounds don’t have any chance to deteriorate. The extraction process is meant to remove as many of the impurities, namely fats and lipids, as possible from the product.

Types Of Cannabis Resin Products

There are several types of resin products. Some of the most common include:

Hash

This traditional cannabis concentrate has been used for many decades. When consumed, a hash can provide a feeling of euphoria. It is made by separating trichome crystals before rolling the substance into a ball or pressing it into a brick.

Butane Hash Oil

Abbreviated as BHO, butane hash oil is one of the most popular forms of cannabis concentrate. It is commonly used in dabs due to its potency and fast onset. BHO is made through the process of removing fatty trichome resin glands from the cannabis plant with butane.

Live Resin

Live resin is made from cannabis plants that have been flash-frozen immediately post-harvest. By freezing directly after harvest, terpenes and other cannabis compounds do not have the chance to degrade.

This is the solution for those who really want the added terpenes and phytochemicals in their cannabis resin! Upon harvest, the cannabis plants are immediately flash frozen. During the processing and extraction of the resin, the cannabis is still maintained at these frigid temperatures, ensuring that none of the medicinal or aromatic properties are annihilated — as they usually would be. Although some solvents are used in this process, it’s not nearly as much as is used in the process of producing the butane hash oil.

Rosin

Rosin does not require solvents and is made by applying pressure and heat to dried cannabis plants.

Rosin is another type of oil produced from cannabis resin. It’s pretty similar to butane hash oil, except rosin is not made with any solvents, which preserves many of the terpenes. To get rosin, you simply use heat and pressure to extract all the oil from the plant. Many people will often place a few nugs in between a piece of parchment paper and flatten it with a hair straightener. This will give them a quick and easy extraction. But if you have money and are willing to get a special piece of equipment, there exists a wide variety of hydraulic presses that will really squeeze those buds until the last drop comes out. These can be expensive, but if you are an avid fan of cannabis resin, it may be worth the investment!

CO2 Oil

CO2 oil is a type of cannabis concentrate derived from cannabis resin that has been extracted from a plant with a solvent. However, instead of using butane like hash oil, CO2 is used.

These types also come in different forms. These forms are: saps, shatters, crumbles, butters, distillates, kief, ice water extract, and dry sift. Consistency, viscosity, and clarity are all different based on how they were extracted.

Different Types Smoke Differently

Smoking simple resin, those leftovers from a dirty bong or pipe, will be a much harsher, less palatable smoke than live resin or resin produced by any other means. The quality of the plant that the resin is extracted from will determine the quality of the resulting resin and the smoke. The best way to be sure that you get the best smoke is to invest in high-quality cannabis plants to extract from, or to purchase high-quality cannabis resin concentrate.

How To Store Resin?

Cannabis resin will begin to dry out when exposed to the air. It is important to keep it in an airtight container in a cool environment. For long-term storage, a refrigerator would be the ideal place to keep it. If you’re only storing short-term, any darker place that is room temperature or less would work fine. The container that the resin is stored in will depend on the form it takes. Resin shatter, for example, shouldn’t be stored in glass jars, as it can be difficult to get out again. Live resin sauce or butter, on the other hand, are perfect to store in glass jars. Aside from glass jars, cannabis resin can also be stored in plastic jars, silicone jars, or even just parchment paper.

Does smoking resin get you high?

In general, the THC content of resin that’s built up in a bong or pipe is quite low. And while there may be some residual THC in resin, it will taste harsh and contain more tar than useful compounds. . In short, smoking resin found in a bong is something people do, but the risks outweigh the benefits. 

Regardless of whether it is derived from cannabis or another source, smoking tar is harmful. You may not have experienced any dangerous side effects if you’ve taken resin hits from your pipe or bowl once or twice in a pinch. But it’s probably worth waiting until you get some more flower or concentrates, rather than smoking something with minimal THC content that’s also worse for your lungs. 

How much THC is in resin?

It is hard to quantify exactly how much THC is present in leftover resin. But regardless of the specific amount, leftover resin does not contain very much THC. Instead, the sticky resin that builds up in your pipes, bowls, vaporizers, and bongs is mostly comprised of tar, ash, and carbon—all products of the combustion process. Ultimately, leftover resin does contain some THC, and you might even feel a little bit high after smoking resin, but compared to flower and concentrates, leftover resin is very low in THC.

Can you smoke the sticky resin from your pipe?

While there may be some residual THC left in your pipe resin and you may feel a high from smoking resin, it’s likely to have much more tar, which is significantly more harmful to your lungs than any of the desirable compounds.

Can you use a vaporizer to smoke resin?

Yes, it’s possible to consume resin using a vaporizer. However, similar to smoking resin, you’re unlikely to get a sufficient amount of cannabinoids and terpenes. Putting resin in your vaporizer may also gunk it up and negatively impact the smell and taste of your vape hits. 

How Long Does Cannabis Resin Last?

The shelf life of cannabis concentrates depends on various things, like the quality of the original plant and how the resin is then packaged and stored. Based on these factors, some may keep their quality indefinitely, and others may lose their quality very quickly. Storing shatter resin in parchment paper on the kitchen table will most likely decrease its potential shelf-life tremendously. But storing that same product in a plastic jar in the refrigerator will allow for its enjoyment for significantly longer.

Side Effects of Cannabis Resin

Just as smoking “regular” (whole plant) cannabis has side effects, resin also comes with a few as well. The most common side effects of resin include dry mouth (cottonmouth), increased heart rate, anxiety or panic attacks, and impairment of short term memory. These can all be mitigated with proper and responsible usage, but it’s important to be prepared and know of all the possible interactions it may cause.

Because cannabis resin is an extremely concentrated form of cannabis, it contains a lot of THC, which is the psychoactive constituent of cannabis. For those that may be sensitive to THC, you should definitely check the contents of the resin you will use, to make sure it is an appropriate and suitable amount for your body and sensitivity. A little goes a long way in the case of cannabis resin, so you should be careful that you are not over-consuming.

Also, as THC has the potential to induce panic attacks, those who suffer from anxiety or are prone to panic should be especially cautious due to the potentially strong nature of the product. It is recommended that you just test a small amount to see how you react, before consuming a full portion of cannabis resin.