There’s a specific kind of buyer that doesn’t care about the potency numbers and is more interested in the taste, and whether thca carts do or don’t taste like the strain on the label. If it is you, you’ve likely seen live resin quietly take the place of the standard flavored options and distillate begin to seem more like the cheaper option than ever before.
Extraction removes almost all of the components except for THCA, leaving a flavorless oil which manufacturers add terpenoids back in, either from the original strain or not. The distillate carts are typically the least expensive product on a countertop, as they are easy to make.
Live resin skips that process. Prevents terpenes and minor cannabinoids from oxidizing, as cannabis is flash-frozen at the time of harvest, before it dries or cures and a much wider range of the plant’s original terpenes and minor cannabinoids are preserved. The live resin thca cart will probably have a stronger smell and flavor, and will have a more complex and nuanced profile than any single reconstructed terpene would have.
This is important not only for flavor, but for other reasons as well. Terpenes are thought to affect the entourage effect, the overall experience of an effect, which can be described as a combination of cannabinoids. A good live resin cart will often provide a more “on brand” experience, whether sativa or indica, due to its terpene profile. Even though the distillate is technically strong, it might seem somewhat bland because the terpene profile has not been maintained.
If you are looking for live resin, make sure it is actually called live resin, rather than something less specific, such as premium, check for strain-specific terpene profiles, not a flavor throughout a line and ensure that the COA specifies terpene content, not total THCA.
Dope THC’s thca cartridge lineup is all about this – a list of strains, each with its own unique profile of terpenes and not just a house blend. All carts are 510-Thread tested and approved in the lab.
Distillate is more potent and less expensive if it’s only the potency that matters. However, if you’re paying a few extra dollars to learn the difference between a cart that tastes like real berries versus a “candy flavor #4,” then live resin is well worth the slight premium; it’s a distinction between approximating and representing a strain.
