With so many cannabis concentrates on the market, what makes distillate carts unique? Learn whether pure, potent distillate or flavorful live resin better delivers the vaping experience you crave, plus a breakdown of how these versatile oils get made.
We’ll explore how intensive purification processes allow distillate carts to isolate desired cannabinoids, while live resin retention of terpenes and compounds preserves cannabis’s full character. Most vitally, you’ll weigh whether pure potency, rich flavor, or a balanced high is priority for your vaping experience.
The quick contrast will equip you to select the oil reservoir that fills your cartridge needs, demystifying distillate vs live resin in a snap. Now let’s dive in!
Contents
How Distillate carts & Live Resin Cartridges are Made
Distillate and live resin have vastly different production processes, which greatly affects their consistency and chemical makeup:
Making Cannabis Distillate Carts
Cannabis flower is first extracted using solvents like butane or CO2 to produce a crude cannabis oil. This oil then undergoes intensive purification via distillation, stripping out all compounds except the desired cannabinoids like THC. What’s left is an extremely pure yet flavorless oil distillate that tops out around 95-99% cannabinoid potency.
Live Resin Production
Live resin begins with freshly harvested cannabis plants that are immediately flash-frozen to preserve volatile terpenes and flavonoids. The frozen material gets washed in a solvent like butane at subzero temps, then dewaxed and purged until a concentrate containing a robust assortment of terpenes and cannabinoids emerges. This oil bears great resemblance to that of raw, uncured buds straight from the plant.
Comparing the Key Characteristics: Distillate Carts vs. Live Resin Carts
Distillate and live resin have some stark differences when it comes to flavor, experience, cost, and more. Here’s how they stack up:
| Distillate Cartridge | Live Resin Cartridge | |
|---|---|---|
| THC/CBD Content | Up to 99% isolated THC or CBD | Wider range of cannabinoids and 80-90% THC |
| Terpenes | Removed | Abundant, strain-specific |
| Flavor | Minimal to none | Pungent and flavorful |
| High | One-dimensional and intensely psychoactive | More balanced and multi-faceted |
As we can see, live resin aims to capture a well-rounded chemical profile in the spirit of whole plant medicine, while distillate seeks only to isolate and amplify a specific cannabinoid like THC without any accessories.
Which Cannabis Cartridge is Best for You?
Now for the main question: should you choose live resin or distillate for your next oil vape cart? It depends entirely on the experience you seek.
To simplify things, here’s a quick user’s guide:
Seek Out Distillate Cartridges If You Want:
- Maximum potency & purity of THC or CBD
- A simple, one-dimensional high
- An odorless, minimal flavor
- To stretch your vaping budget
Live Resin Carts Are Ideal For:
- Preserving strain-specific terpenes & flavors
- A complex, nuanced high accentuated by terpenes
- An authentic cannabis experience
- Budget not being the main concern
In the end, it comes down to personal preference and priorities on any given day or session. The good news is that with expanding legalization, both distillate and live resin cartridges are becoming widely available from quality producers at fair prices.
Visit or contact your neighborhood dispensary and lean on their expertise to match you with the perfect cartridge to suit your lifestyle. Many stock options across the spectrum – it’s just about finding what resonates with your individual needs.
FAQS
What is a distillate cart?
A distillate cart, or distillate vape cartridge, contains highly purified and concentrated cannabis extract made using a process called “distillation”. This intensive process strips away all compounds from the cannabis plant except one target cannabinoid, usually THC or CBD, resulting in an odorless oil that can reach purity levels as high as 90-99%. Distillate carts allow you to vape almost pure THC/CBD.
Is distillate a good high?
Yes, distillate can provide a very potent, intoxicating high given its exceptionally high THC levels. However, without terpenes and other cannabis compounds, many find the distillate high to be rather one-dimensional and even harsh at times. The purity makes it super strong but can also make it less balanced.
Which is better live resin or distillate?
There is no definitively “better” option between live resin vs. distillate cartridges. Live resin offers a more well-rounded high with authentic cannabis flavors and aromas. But distillate provides unmatched potency and purity for those seeking a strong THC kick. Ultimately it depends on the user’s priorities and cannabis experience preferences.
Why is distillate so cheap?
There are a few reasons why distillate tends to cost less than other cannabis extracts:
– The distillation process yields very high output, so producers can make a lot from relatively little starting material
– Less processing compared to live resin since no need to freeze fresh plants quickly
– Lower cost of ingredients as it uses traditionally extracted cannabis oil
– Very high levels of THC per gram concentrate drives down the price per mg THC
So combination of high output and lower overhead makes it economical for manufacturers to sell distillate cartridges and dabs at lower price points.
