The continuous growth in the cannabis industry gives rise to consumer demand for concentrates, especially live resin and distillate. Retailers are stocking these products to meet this increasing demand.
Both distillate and live resin are high-potency extracts that are popular among consumers, but differ from each other based on their production processes, chemical compositions, user experiences, and shelf appeals. As a retailer, you need to understand these details and source the right concentrate from a reliable wholesale supplier.
This decision greatly impacts your store branding, legal compliance, product turnover, and customer satisfaction. This article will guide you on what distillate and live resin are, their key differences, and how to stock the right one as per your customers’ needs.
What is Live Resin?
Live resin is a form of cannabis concentrate that is made by freezing freshly harvested cannabis plants. It offers a terpene-rich, full-spectrum effect. Because this is made from fresh frozen cannabis, it preserves all the cannabis compounds, including cannabinoids, terpene profiles, and others.
Live resin retains the highest level of the cannabis profile at a low temperature and requires a solvent-based extraction method. The consistency of this cannabis extract appears saucy and sticky, with distinct strain properties.
What is Distillate?
Distillate is another form of cannabis extract that usually contains a single cannabinoid with 90-99% purity and potency. This is formed through the process of distillation, in which cannabinoids are separated from the plant components and impurities.
Unlike live resin, distillates are formulated using cured and dried cannabis plants at high heat. The goal of this product is not to preserve the terpene profile but to make it more potent. Distillate is high in THC, with a clear and concentrated appearance.
If you are dealing with experienced cannabis users, interested in dabbing or vaping products, these distillates are the right choice to stock.
Key Differences Between Live Resin and Distillate
As a retailer, you don’t just stock the products; you meet consumer expectations by choosing the right product between live resin and distillate. Before stocking any of these cannabis extracts, it’s important to understand all the key differences.
1. Extraction Process
The live resin is made using a solvent-based extraction process. The first step involves freezing the fresh cannabis, followed by its extraction using hydrogen-based solvents, such as butane, propane, or a mixture of both. The solvent is then purified in a vacuum oven at an optimum temperature, technique, and pressure to get the desired consistency.
Distillates are made using the dried and cured cannabis plants. The first step includes drying the cannabis plant and then curing it in an air-tight container to get rid of bacteria. Once cannabis is dried, it undergoes an extraction process to extract the cannabinoids using chemicals like propane, ethanol, and butane.
The next step is the filtration of unnecessary plant components using cold temperatures. The mixture is then heated at a high temperature (decarboxylation) to make the cannabinoids more potent, like THC cannabinoid.
2. Flavor and Aroma
Live resin has preserved the terpene profile, so it offers rich aroma and flavor. Terpenes are the plant components that provide the aroma and flavors to it, including the aroma of pine and the scent of lavender.
In live resin cannabis products, the smell and flavor depend on the nature of the strain used and the practices of growers and manufacturers. However, distillates do not have any aroma or flavor.
They are odourless and tasteless, perfect for consumers who don’t like the taste of cannabis. These characteristics of distillate make it ideal for use in cannabis edibles and beverages.
3. Potency and Consistency
Both live resin and distillates are of high potency. If we were to test the potency of concentrates on a spectrum, the THC would be 52-95%. The live resins contain 60-90% THC, while distillates offer high concentrations of a single cannabinoid, such as 90-99% THC.
The presence of wax, lipids, and fats makes live resin thicker than the distillates. After extraction, lie resin oil can be converted into a range of consistencies, including budder, badder, shatter, crumble, and wax.
The live resins have a saucy and sticky consistency, while the distillate's consistency is clear, thick, and oil-like.
4. Terpenes and Cannabinoids
Live resin is the full-spectrum cannabis extract that is made from freshly frozen cannabis to preserve the terpene profiles. This cannabis extract contains the whole cannabis profile, including cannabinoids, flavonoids, and terpenes. Live resins are richer in terpenes than other cannabis compounds.
Distillates are the concentrates that remove all the other cannabis compounds with full focus on retaining the cannabinoids. In edible forms, distillates offer precise dosage measurements that benefit the cannabis consumers, especially the new ones.
5. Effects and Pricing
Both live resin and distillates have high concentrations of THC, but consumers experience different effects. THC distillates will produce an intoxication with effects including pain relief, euphoria, appetite stimulation, nausea relief, and relaxation.
The live resins, on the other hand, provide a more balanced experience due to the presence of other compounds that produce a synergistic effect by enhancing each other's effects. Retailers can position live resins as premium products, as they sell at a higher price in the retail market than the distillates.
6. Uses
Live resins can be used in dabbing, vaping, or smoking pre-rolls or joints. The flavor and effects of live resins make them a premium and high-priced product. Distillates have versatile usage, such as in vapes, capsules, tinctures, and edibles, because of their purity and neutral taste.
Which one is Right for your Retail store?
Choosing the right one for your retail store depends on your consumer demand and your retail pricing strategy. Both live resin and distillates are profitable extracts for retailers.
If you deal with experienced users who chase flavors or medical consumers, stocking live resin will be a good choice to provide full-spectrum effects. If your customers are newbies, have budget issues, or want consistent potency in vapes and edibles, then purchase distillate products wholesale from a reputable supplier like AHDist.
However, smart retailers stock both to reach a wider range of audience. By educating your staff and positioning your products effectively, you will help your customers make informed decisions.
Final Words
Distillate and live resin are the profitable cannabis extracts for retailers that utilize solvents in their extraction process. However, the potency, consistency, terpene content, effects, and usage of both differentiate them from one another.
Understanding this difference is not just a comparison for retailers; it helps them make strategic decisions for their retail growth. For retailers, it’s not a debate of which one is better; they focus on the one that aligns with their store’s goals and their customers’ needs.
By sourcing wholesale live resin and distillate products from AHDist’s wholesale inventory, you can stock smarter to maximize your sales and customer satisfaction.
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