Rosin vs. Distillate: The Differences and Benefits
Rosin and distillate are two of the latest cannabis extracts that are known for their purity and potency. Both extracts are gaining popularity, but what differentiates them? This article discusses the unique characteristics, extraction methods, and starting materials of rosin and distillate. Difference Between Distillate and Live Rosin.
Cannabis Distillate: An Overview
Cannabis distillate is a new extract that involves distilling cannabinoids to a pure molecular level. Cannabis distillation is a post-concentrate process that produces a tasteless and odorless concentrate with a potency of between 95% and 99% THC. The high potency and flavorless nature of distillate make it ideal for use in edibles, vape cartridges, and other cannabis products.
Rosin: An Overview
Rosin is a solventless extract that involves mechanical separation using heat and pressure to extract compounds without the use of solvents like ethanol or butane. Rosin has textures similar to traditional concentrates, and its production method is considered a cleaner alternative to the traditional solvent-based extraction methods.
Extraction Methods
The production methods of distillate and rosin are quite different. While distillate requires crude extraction using solvents to dissolve cannabis into a crude oil, rosin production is solventless. Additionally, cannabis distillation requires more post-processing than rosin production.
Distillate production requires a closed-loop extraction system, recirculating chillers and heaters, vacuum ovens, and a rotary evaporator. In contrast, rosin production requires nothing more than a rosin press, making it a simpler and more cost-effective method.
Starting Materials
Cannabis distillates are commonly made from low-quality flower, trim, and leftover biomass. Cannabis distillate is not concerned with the plant material’s quality because the distillation process eliminates impurities. However, rosin requires high-quality starting materials such as flower, sift, or hash to achieve its full potential.
Types of Rosin
There are different types of rosin that you can create, including flower rosin, sift rosin, hash rosin, and solventless shatter. Flower rosin is pressed from cannabis flower, while sift rosin is produced from dry sift or kief. Hash rosin is made from ice water hash or bubble hash, Difference Between Distillate and Live Rosin and solventless shatter is rosin that has a shatter-like consistency.
Live rosin is any rosin pressed from fresh-frozen cannabis, which is not to be confused with live resin, which is made by processing live cannabis flower via solvent extraction. Creating live resin requires equipment similar to BHO, but the cannabis is flash-frozen.
Conclusion
Rosin and distillate are two of the most popular cannabis extracts on the market, each with its unique characteristics, extraction methods, and benefits. Distillate is a flavorless and odorless concentrate with a potency of between 95% and 99% THC, Difference Between Distillate and Live Rosin, while rosin is a solventless extract that is considered a cleaner alternative to traditional solvent-based extraction methods. Understanding the differences between the two extracts will help you make an informed choice when selecting the right cannabis extract for your needs.