Cannabis Concentrates: What Are Live Resin, Rosin, and BHO?

As one of the top-rated dispensaries in MI, we make it our business to stay on top of all the latest products and trends in the wide world of cannabis. And without doubt, one of the most exciting developments in recent years is cannabis concentrates—which is why you’ll find a carefully curated selection of concentrates on our  Hamtramck, East Lansing, Lincoln Park, Houghton Lake, and Mt. Clemens menus!

A broad family of products that includes rosin, live resin, BHO and more, cannabis concentrates offer a whole new way to experience the marijuana plant with unparalleled potency, variety, and—as we’ll see in just a moment—never-before-tasted flavors and aromas.

Buckle your seatbelts, because this promises to be a fun ride!

What Are Cannabis Concentrates?

On the simplest level, cannabis concentrates—sometimes known as “extracts”—are nothing more than a highly refined and potent form of the active compounds in the cannabis flower, the familiar leafy green format we all know and love. And while budder, shatter, resin and rosin are relatively new innovations, concentrates are not, in fact, all that new. Hashish, the oldest known form of cannabis concentrate, is at least 1,000 years old (and quite possibly older).

It’s important to know that cannabis concentrates are extremely potent. The flower we stock at our Michigan recreational dispensaries typically top out in the high 20% (or, in rare cases, the low 30%) ranges in terms of their THC content. But it’s not unusual to find concentrates that reach 90% THC content. That’s one reason these products should be approached with the utmost respect. Especially if you’re new to recreational cannabis, we always suggest you “start low and go slow.”

While there’s a surprisingly wide range of cannabis concentrates on the market, we’re going to limit today’s introduction to a few major types: rosin, live resin, and butane hash oil, better known as BHO.

Introduction to Cannabis Concentrates: Rosin

Arguably the simplest of cannabis concentrates, rosin is made by applying mild heat and pressure to cured cannabis flower. Because it requires very little in the way of specialized equipment, rosin can be safely (but carefully!) made at home. Live rosin is similar to rosin but it is made from fresh plant material instead of dried plant material.

Here’s something to keep in mind: Both rosin and live rosin are “solventless” cannabis concentrates. They don’t require a chemical such as butane or CO2 in order to extract cannabinoids such as THC and CBD—what you might think of as the “active ingredients” in cannabis—from the flower. By comparison, solvent extracts do require chemical processing, and thus they’re produced in laboratory environments by skilled technicians. 

Cannabis Concentrates: BHO and Live Resin

Many cannabis connoisseurs consider BHO to be the first modern cannabis concentrate. Popular because it tends to preserve more of the cannabinoids (and flavorful terpenes) than other solvent-based concentrates, BHO is often made into “shatter”: Dried, candy-like shards of concentrate, typically consumed via a specialized dab rig.

Live resin, on the other hand, is one of the newest additions to the concentrates family. We don’t want to play favorites, but live resin is arguably the most exciting. Live resin is not unlike other concentrates, except that it’s made from flash-frozen fresh flower. This preserves a much higher proportion of fragile terpenes, resulting in what some people describe as a “hyperrealistic” flavor and aroma. Once you’ve gotten your feet wet in the larger world of cannabis concentrates, we highly recommend sampling live resin.

Which Is Better? Rosin vs BHO vs Live Resin

Is one “better” than the other? That’s largely a matter of taste. While some people understandably want to limit their interactions with chemicals, well-made solvent extracts like the ones we offer at our Michigan recreational dispensaries have had all traces of solvents carefully purged before sale. So on a purely functional level, there’s arguably little difference.

Pleasantrees: Your New Favorite Michigan Recreational Dispensary

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this introduction to cannabis concentrates as much as we enjoyed creating it! Stop by any of our Pleasantrees dispensaries in MI to say hello, check out our lineup, and learn more about these truly game-changing cannabis products. 

We have recreational dispensaries conveniently located in Hamtramck, East Lansing, Lincoln Park, Houghton Lake, and Mt. Clemens. We’re also proud to offer one of the highest quality marijuana delivery services in Michigan: Just select “delivery” when checking out online. And if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask. We’re here to help!