Rosin vs Shatter: 5 Ways Each Cannabis Concentrate Reigns Supreme

The Ultimate Rosin Vs Shatter Showdown

Rosin vs shatter, which is superior?

What are the differences between rosin and shatter? And even more critical, which is the better cannabis concentrate?

There are many cannabis concentrates in the market currently, each with lots of nicknames and only subtle differences from closely related products. But with live rosin vs shatter, that is not the case.

With shatter vs rosin, the production processes are not the same, and the products differ in almost all aspects, including texture, consistency and more. But which is superior?

Most times, it all comes down to personal preferences. But whichever product you choose when you buy weed online, ensure it ticks all the boxes regarding quality, effectiveness and safety.

One way to ensure your weed rosin or shatter is of good quality is to order weed online from a reputable mail-order marijuana dispensary like Chronic Farms, the leading weed shop in Canada.

Without further ado, here is how rosin, live rosin and shatter compare.

What is Weed Rosin?

Rosin is a popular cannabis concentrate packed with cannabinoids, terpenes and other marijuana plant compounds. But unlike other concentrates, the weed rosin production process is more straightforward.

Cannabis rosin is a solventless concentrate, meaning no solvent is used to extract cannabinoids or terpenes from the plant materials. 

Rosin is produced through a mechanical extraction method which can be as easy as wrapping your flower with parchment paper and applying some heat and pressure with a pair of hair straighteners.

The process basically squeezes the “sap” from the cannabis buds. That oil-like substance collected is known as rosin.

However, commercial rosin is made using a rosin press. However, the process is the same and uses heat and pressure to produce the wax-like substance.

Rosin has a distinct appearance and consistency that sets it apart from other concentrates. It is light golden to amber in colour and has a malleable, buttery or waxy texture that is easy to manipulate.

The colour and consistency of rosin vary depending on the strain, timing, and temperature during the extraction process. 

When researching rosin vs shatter, you will probably come across another product called live rosin. But what is live rosin?

Live Rosin vs Shatter? What is Live Rosin?

You probably have come across the words “live” and “rosin” together when checking out live rosin vs shatter differences. 

Until recently, “live” was used almost exclusively to describe a cannabis concentrate called live resin, a butane hash oil (BHO) product made from fresh weed buds or trim. But what does it mean when it comes to rosin?

Live rosin is a cannabis concentrate that, like regular rosin, is made using a mechanical extraction method. But unlike the common rosin, the materials used are “live.”

This is because live rosin is made using freshly harvested or flash-frozen buds.

By flash freezing the buds immediately after they are harvested, producers preserve all the compounds found in the live plant, including delicate terpenes that would otherwise be destroyed or lost if the buds were dried and cured, as is the norm.

However, making live rosin may not be as straightforward as grabbing a bunch of frozen buds from the freezer and sticking it into the rosin press. This would result in lots of moisture from the fresh buds, which would need to be evaporated.

This process would potentially destroy the cannabinoids and terpenes, resulting in a lower-quality product.

Instead, producers first make ice wax, a form of bubble hash created using ice, water and agitation to separate the trichomes from the frozen plant materials. Once separated, the extract is filtered, resulting in only pure trichomes or ice wax.

The trichomes are then allowed to dry before pressing to make live rosin. 

Live rosin is considered to be better than regular rosin. But how does it compare with other BHO cannabis concentrates like shatter? First, let’s define shatter.

What is Shatter?

Shatter is one of the most popular cannabis concentrates in Canada today. It’s one of the most sought-after for several reasons, including ease of use and high potency.

Shatter is known for its glass-like appearance and consistency. It gets its name from its tendency to shatter when handled.

It is also one of the concentrates known as butane hash oil or BHO. This means it’s created using solvent extraction, typically through a process that involves the use of butane to extract cannabinoids and terpenes.

This process involves cannabis flower being placed in an extraction tube where it is blasted with butane. 

The solvent dissolves the trichomes forming an amber substance. The extract is then heated to purge the solvent and left to form shatter. 

The result is a translucent extract whose colours range from honey-like amber to olive oil-like dark yellow. A more translucent shatter doesn’t mean it’s of higher quality, but it may tell you more about the process. 

Shatter becomes more malleable when exposed to heat. Residual solvents, moisture, storage or even agitation during production may also affect the snap-off texture of shatter and create a different kind of concentrate.

The process of making shatter involves handling flammable, dangerous solvents such as butane. For health and safety reasons, making shatter should only be left to well-equipped professionals with the expertise needed to make a safe product.

Now that you know what shatter and rosin are, how do they compare in the rosin vs shatter debate?

Rosin vs Shatter: How Do They Compare?

1. Production: This is the main difference when comparing live rosin vs shatter. Rosin is a solventless concentrate which means it’s made using a mechanical extraction method rather than a solvent.

Shatter, on the other hand, is created using the butane hash oil BHO process, which typically utilizes butane to separate the cannabinoids and terpenes from the plant materials. 

When making rosin, you only need a way to apply heat and pressure to the buds, while making shatter needs complex closed-loop systems to ensure safety and effectiveness.

2. THC content: Both rosin vs shatter concentrates typically test at between 60% and 90% THC, depending on the strain used and the process. 

There isn’t much difference between shatter vs rosin when it comes to THC content because of the many variables at play.

However, shatter may be slightly more potent as solvents may be more effective in stripping the plant materials of cannabinoids and terpenes.

Both solvents, however, produce a much stronger high than regular cannabis buds. But this is only true if you buy weed online from a reputable cannabis dispensary in Canada like Chronic Farms.

3. Consistency: Another big difference in rosin vs shatter is consistency. Shatter is known for its brittle, snap-off texture, while rosin has an oily, wax-like texture.

Shatter has a thin, glass-like appearance and tends to shatter when a small amount of pressure is applied. Depending on how you load your wax pen or dab rig, this can either make it difficult or easy to use.

Rosin has a sap-like to waxy appearance. It’s very malleable and easy to use.

4. Terpenes: If made correctly, rosin will contain most of the terpenes from the original buds, retaining most of the flavour and aroma of the strain.

While the BHO process typically produces terpene-rich products, too much heat when purging the solvent may ruin shatter consistency or evaporate volatile terpenes.

Comparing live rosin vs shatter, live rosin will be more flavourful as it uses flash-frozen, live buds. This means it preserves as many terpenes from the cannabis plant as possible.

If you are going for flavour and aroma, rosin, especially live rosin, may be the product for you.

5. Quality and safety: Solventless extracts such as rosin and live rosin are becoming increasingly popular as they are considered safer and better quality alternatives to BHO concentrates.

Unlike shatter, no solvents are used in the rosin extraction process, meaning there is no chance of being harmed by residual chemicals in the product when vaping or smoking.

Rosin also retains most terpenes and other compounds. 

Rosin is cheap and easy to make at home, with tools such as parchment paper and hair straighteners. Shatter, on the other hand, is dangerous to produce and is best left to professionals.

Which is Superior, Rosin or Shatter?

When comparing rosin vs shatter, you will find that both cannabis concentrates have pros and cons. But which is the best product for you?

Both shatter and rosin are potent products. Choosing one mostly boils down to personal preferences, budget and desired effects. 

If you value flavour, rosin, especially live rosin, maybe your ideal product. But shatter may be a better option if you want to avoid paying a premium but still need a potent product.

However, rosin has a slight edge over shatter because it’s solventless. This means there’s no chance of getting solvent residues in the final product. It is also cheap and easy to make rosin at home. 

Whichever product you choose, ensure that you only buy weed online at a reputable mail-order dispensary to ensure safety, effectiveness and quality.

At Chronic Farms, we are an online mail-order dispensary known for offering high-quality cannabis products at affordable prices.

Check out our extensive selection of cannabis products online and get rosin, shatter, or any other cannabis product, including edibles, flower or vapes, at the lowest prices in Canada. Buy weed online today.