Although cannabis use was legally prohibited worldwide for years, people never stopped using it. Now that various countries are slowly starting to legalize the use and ownership of cannabis products, the industry has seen rapid growth.
Among the new cannabis consumption methods and technologies, dabbing and vaping cannabis concentrates have grown in popularity. Solvent-extracted resin, like cured resin (and its counterpart, live resin), is among the most sought-after thanks to its potency and flavor delivery.
There are so many concentrates on the market that it can be challenging to keep track and know what’s what, especially for beginners. This post is for you if you want to know precisely what cured resin is, how it differs from live resin, and how you can consume it. Read on.
What Is Resin?
Cannabis resin is a sticky substance found on the exterior of the cannabis plant (or bud). It essentially comes from cannabis trichomes, which contain tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and other cannabinoids associated with cannabis.
Resin is typically dark brown in its natural form. If you’ve ever trimmed a cannabis plant with scissors or shears, you’ve noticed that they pick up a sticky brown substance that sometimes ‘jams’ the tool. That substance is resin in its natural form, and you could smoke it immediately.
Commercial resins are the result of extracting raw cannabis resin through some process. They range from dark to light brown in color and from solid to more fluid in texture.
What Is Cured Resin?
Cured resin is one of the most common forms of concentrate out there. It’s a solvent-extracted resin that’s extracted from the cannabis plant using a solvent like propane, butane, ethanol, or CO2. The solvent separates the cannabinoids from the plant material, and the substance it creates is reduced into a resin.
‘Cured’ refers to how the plant is treated or prepared before the resin extraction. The plant is dried and cured using the same process as the cannabis flower you’d buy for smoking. Part of the reason cured resin is so standardized is because most cannabis is preserved this way and is the most accessible.
The curing process starts with drying. There are several methods for this, but one of the most prominent is hanging the cannabis in a dark, temperature-controlled room. The process takes anywhere from one to two weeks.
After drying, the buds are removed from the stems and leaves. Depending on the strain and the environment, they’re then left to sit in an airtight container for one to four weeks to cure. The containers must be kept in a dark, dry, and cool room. They should also be opened, and the bud turned every few days for airflow.
Remember, if you’ve purchased ready-to-smoke buds, they’re already cured, and you can attempt to make your own cured resin from them. After curing, the resin is extracted using a solvent. The process differs depending on the solvent, personal preference, and tool availability.
How Does Cured Resin Differ From Live Resin?
Cured resin was once considered the most popular concentrate until live resin hit the market relatively recently. The actual extraction process is pretty much the same. The critical difference between cured and live resin is the starting material.
As ‘cured’ refers to how the plant is processed before extraction, so does ‘live.’ Instead of drying and curing the plant, the entire live cannabis plant is flash-frozen as soon as it’s harvested. The resin extraction is performed using this frozen bud as its starting material.
So, live resin is extracted from the trichomes of living plants, while cured resin comes from dried plants. Both result in a potent product, but there are differences.
Cured resin is essentially ‘aged’ during curing, breaking down some of the plant’s chlorophyll and terpenes and changing the flavor. Live resin typically has a more pungent smell and is more flavorful. Plus, the method keeps moisture in the plant, leaving the resin more fluid than cured resin.
Keep in mind that one process isn’t notably better than the other; it’s a matter of personal preference and the effects it has on the body.
How To Consume Cured Resin
Resin is simply cannabis concentrate, and there are many ways to consume it. Here are some methods:
- Dab/Vape
Inhalation via a dab rig or vape pen is probably the most popular way to get the cannabinoids from resin into the body. They’re considered healthier than smoking and are considerably more potent. Both essentially heat the resin until it vaporizes and then you’ll be able to inhale it.
- Pipe
You can inhale resin through a regular smoking pipe (preferably metal, glass, or ceramic). Just pop your concentrate into the bowl and heat the bowl from the outside with a lighter. The resin will vaporize, and you can then inhale it.
- Bong
Like a pipe, bongs can be used with resin instead of regular cannabis flowers. The process is the same: fill the bowl, heat it from the outside, and inhale. It may be beneficial to clean your bong and fill it with fresh water first.
- As An Additive To Joints/Blunts
Consider adding resin to your rolls if you enjoy smoking but want an extra kick. You can add it to the inside or outside if a joint or blunt; it’s up to personal preference.
Conclusion
Luckily, officials these days have developed an open mind to cannabis – leading the way to the development of products like cured resin.
Cured resin is a sticky cannabis concentrate extracted from the trichomes of dried and cured cannabis plants. It’s commonly used by cannabis lovers in cannabis vaping or dabbing setups and is loved for its potency and flavor. If you enjoy cannabis and want to add something new to your experience, you might discover yourself to be a lover of cured resin.
