Hemp and cannabis used to be two very different industries. However, the line between the two has blurred due to the rise of hemp-derived THC isomers like Delta-8 and Delta-10. Today, you can find psychoactive hemp edibles, beverages, and concentrates in shops where CBD oils once dominated. Hemp’s THC revolution has led manufacturers to closely follow cannabis trends and create their own federally legal versions. The latest example is Live Rosin hemp concentrates blended with legal THC isomers like Delta-8.

But what is live rosin exactly? How is delta-8 live rosin different from cannabis? And how are these products made?

We sat down with Cloud 8® president Grant Martin and Co-Founder of Buy CBD Oil Online, Andy Klein, to find out. 

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First, what is live rosin?

Live rosin is a cannabis concentrate made from frozen plant material rather than dried and cured buds. The freezing process preserves the original plants’ cannabinoid and terpene profiles and what makes the product “live.” The “rosin” part refers to the extraction machine, “rosin press” which uses heat and pressure to draw the potent oil out of the plant.  Live rosin is different from live resin, which uses chemical solvents like butane and propane for extraction. Instead, live rosin is a solventless extraction process.

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What’s the difference between hemp live rosin and cannabis live rosin?

At a basic level, hemp live rosin comes from federally legal low-THC hemp plants, while cannabis live rosin comes from federally banned, high-THC cannabis plants. Cannabis concentrates have higher Delta-9 concentrations because they’re made from plants with 20-30% THC content. Cannabis plants also contain higher terpene percentages due to their genetics. As a result, cannabis live rosin has more terpenes than hemp. The manufacturing process is also slightly different, but both start with frozen material and utilize a solventless extraction process to draw the concentrated oil out of the plant. 

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Are live rosin hemp concentrates psychoactive?

Pure live rosin hemp concentrates are not psychoactive because hemp plants contain meager THC levels (less than 0.3%). Still, most commercially available live rosin hemp concentrates are in fact, mind-altering because they contain added blends of psychoactive THC isomers like Delta-8, Delta-9, Delta-10, THCO, and HHC. 

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How are live rosin delta-8 concentrates made?

While strains and methods may vary, Cloud 8® starts with high-CBG organic hemp from Colorado and utilizes a dry-sift method to start the process. 

Step 1: Freeze 
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Regardless of the brand, the first step in creating live rosin is to freeze the plant material for 24 to 48 hours. 

Step 2: Sift 

After the flash freezing phase, processors use a tumbler machine with a fine mesh screen to gently sift the frozen material, separating the trichomes from the rest of the material (Kief). Trichomes, known as resin glands, are bulbous appendages on cannabis buds containing cannabinoids and terpenes. Kief is the “dusty” collection of loose trichomes that are even more potent than the resin glands themselves. For example, plant trichomes might contain up to 30% THC, but kief content can range from 50-80%. 

Step 3:  Collection

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Throughout the tumbling process, kief passes through a mesh screen and into the bin. The entire tumbling process takes about thirty minutes for 25 pounds of material. 

Step 4: Press it into oil

Once the tumbling process is complete, the next step is to scoop out the potent Kief and prepare it for the rosin press extraction process.

At this point, processors take the kief, put it into mesh bags, and run it through the rosin press machine. Cloud 8®’s team uses 50-60 grams per run. Here’s how it works.

Rosin machines use two heated plates to press with enough pressure on the kief to allow the oil to seep through the mesh bags and ooze onto the paper. When cannabis is used, the oil is typically a golden color due to its terpene content. With hemp, the oil is a darker amber color. 

Step 5: Final product 

Hemp concentrates can be processed in various dabbable products, like wax, badder, and sugar. However, the Cloud 8® team focuses on creating vape formulas. So after they finish pressing the kief into oil, they infuse the mixture into vape cartridges or disposable vapes and blend it with Delta-8 or Delta-10 THC. Typically manufacturers like Cloud 8® add non-hemp terpenes well. 

What’s the ratio of live rosin to delta-8 in live rosin products?

Live hemp rosin cartridges generally contain about 5-10% live rosin extracted directly from the plant and about 90% psychoactive blend.

Within the 5-10% live rosin, the cannabinoid and terpene concentration depends on the original hemp strain. Cloud 8®’s live rosin from high-CBG hemp contains about 30% CBG, CBGa, CBD, CBDA, and less than 1% CBC and CBDV. Its total terpene content is about 4%, consisting of limonene, trans-caryophyllene, beta-myrcene, borneol, linalool, and beta-pinene. 

The remaining 90-95% of the formula consists of psychoactive THC isomers, like Delta-8, Delta-10, HHC, and THCO. Most formulators also add non-hemp terpenes for flavor, fragrance, and effects. 

Why do live rosin hemp concentrates need non-hemp terpenes?

Live rosin hemp concentrates come from hemp plants, which are bred to contain very low terpene levels. For example, Cloud 8®’s CBG flower contains less than 2% total terpenes. Even after collecting the kief, the concentration is only about 4%. 

On top of its low terpene concentration, live rosin only makes up a small fraction of the overall product. As a result, non-hemp terpenes are the best way to add full-spectrum benefits and intense flavors to the entire formula.

Ok, so what are non-hemp terpenes, and are they safe to ingest?

Non-hemp terpenes typically come from more readily available botanical sources like fruits and plants. Limonene, the energizing citrus terpene, appears more prominently in lemons, oranges, and junipers than in hemp. As a result, manufacturers often infuse fruit-based limonene into their hemp formulations.

Non-hemp terpenes can also be synthesized in a lab through a chemical process. 

Atomically speaking, terpenes are terpenes no matter where they came from, so the source has little to do with quality. The question of product safety can only be answered through third-party laboratory test results. That’s why consumers should always check for a Certificate of Analysis (COA) that verifies the product is safe to consume. Reputable brands like Cloud 8® test at nationally-recognized, certified laboratories like ACS for a full panel, including potency, pesticides, heavy metals, and molds. Consumers can find Cloud 8®’s COAs at https://www.cloud8delta8.com/lab-reports.

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Do live rosin hemp products taste like cannabis?

Live rosin by itself has an earthy flavor because it comes from hemp plants, which are low in flavorful terpenes. However, most live rosin hemp products contain non-cannabis terpenes to enhance the taste and mimic some of the top cannabis strains on the market. 

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What type of live rosin hemp products are available?

The most popular live rosin products come in disposable vapes and vape cartridges. These products are discreet and portable, making them a fan favorite. However, some companies also produce live rosin edibles, gummies, and dabs.

How popular are live rosin products?

Live rosin is one of the newest legal hemp concentrates on the market today, with a growing fanbase of people who want naturally extracted products. At the same time, it’s still competing with standard dabs and live resin concentrates. Those products are typically less expensive and easier to find, but they all require chemical solvents in the extraction process. As a result, Cloud 8® believes live rosin hemp will soon gain a cult following, especially among craft enthusiasts, naturalists, and hemp connoisseurs. 

‍Cloud 8®’s Mission and Inspiration

“Delta-8 drastically changed my life by relieving stress and increasing positivity and focus. The changes were so transformative that it inspired me to create Cloud 8® and share my story with the world. Cloud 8®’s mission is to make high-quality Delta-8 hemp products accessible to anyone in need.

At Cloud 8®, we are constantly improving quality and transparency so consumers can trust that our products are safe to ingest. Most hemp brands only test for potency. We are raising the bar by submitting all products for full-panel laboratory tests and publishing the results for all to see. We are also advocating politically to raise quality and testing standards so all hemp brands will need full panels in the future. Our goal is always to improve product safety and empower consumers with knowledge. 

Cloud 8® is a brand people can trust. We only sell products we use.” – Grant Martin 

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