I started dabbing when my dear friend from high school, the Cannabis Reverend as he was publicly known, absolutely wrecked my world one afternoon in 2008.

I went down to his glass blowing shop to pick up some herb and got really stoned on some bong hits as we were conversing about life. I was working in software in downtown Seattle at the time and had an early afternoon to run up to Ballard. I hadn’t been out of the Navy for more than about two years at that point, and cannabis was not yet a completely regular thing for me. This ounce was meant to be the month’s supply for the now ex wife and me.

Sometimes, when I’m really high, I can have a little difficulty tracking situations. I haven’t experienced this in several years now, as I’m basically inundated with cannabis every moment of every day, but I know the effect is real for many of us. In fact, the first three times I ever got high on quality cannabis I was basically incapacitated and drooling on myself. That’s how high I already was when I got my first dab.

The Reverend is standing at his glass blowing bench, holding a fairly substantial bong with a strange attachment where the bowl should be, aimed into a professional glass blowing torch. He’s a pro, so I think nothing of it. Then I realize he’s explaining something technically intense while heating this attachment, and I catch a few words. Essence of the plant. Hydrocarbon extraction. Just a little.

Before I know it, he moves fast. He puts a slide over the nail he has heated with the propane torch, drops some amber colored oil onto it using a surgical steel dental tool, and inhales.

As he exhales, I blurt out, “WHOA. Did you just freebase cannabis?”

He laughs, tilts his head, and says, “Yes, I did”, asked me if I wanted to try, and of course I did. It’s not the most stoned I have ever been, but I did have some uncomfortable moments adjusting the first time.

He had to roll shortly after, and I ended up sitting nearly motionless in my car for another two hours. Completely stunned. World rearranged.

Since that day, I’ve been an avid dabber. At one point it became a competitive sport between me and the ex wife. At the Northwest Leaf Concentrate Cup in 2014, I consumed roughly ten grams of dabs in a single day. A beautifully terpy pineapple sativa that nested right behind the eyes and drove the mind forward. I’ve judged concentrates in statewide competitions. I’ve enjoyed some of the finest products to ever hit the legal Washington market.

Which brings us here.

People constantly ask me what the difference is between live resin and live rosin. Today, we’ll finally clear that up.

What “Live” Actually Means

Before we split resin and rosin, we need to talk about “live.”

Live concentrates are made from cannabis that is harvested and immediately frozen, rather than dried and cured first. This preserves volatile terpenes and cannabinoids that would otherwise degrade during curing. That’s why live products smell louder, taste brighter, and often feel more strain specific than cured concentrates.

Live does not automatically mean stronger. It usually means more expressive.

Live Resin: Where It All Started

Live resin is made using hydrocarbon extraction, most commonly butane or propane, on fresh frozen cannabis. In a regulated environment, those solvents are fully purged from the final product. What remains is a concentrate that excels at terpene capture.

Live resin tends to be aromatic, sharp, and unmistakable on the nose. It often presents as sauce, sugar, badder, or diamonds, and it has long been the backbone of dab culture.

At House of Cannabis, our dabbable live resin lineup includes:

• Blue Roots
• Bodhi High
• Cloud 9
• Snickle Fritz
• High Country Horticulture

If you are looking for live resin in vape form, we regularly carry:

• Agro Couture
• Buddies
• Dabstract
• Fire Bros
• Mindmelt

Live resin remains a favorite for people who want bold flavor, consistent effects, and a slightly more approachable price point than rosin.

Live Rosin: The Craft Evolution

Live rosin came later, and it changed everything.

Live rosin is made without solvents. Fresh frozen cannabis is washed in ice water to create bubble hash, which is then carefully dried and pressed using heat and pressure. That’s it. No hydrocarbons. No chemistry. Just physics and patience.

The result is a concentrate that many people describe as cleaner, rounder, and more complete. The flavor tends to unfold rather than punch. Effects often feel broader and more balanced.

Live rosin is harder to make, yields less product, and demands better starting material. That’s why it usually costs more. It’s not hype. It’s labor.

At House of Cannabis, our dabbable live rosin brands include:

• American Hash Makers
• Viking Cannabis
• Cloud 9

We also carry live rosin in other formats. For edibles, you’ll find:

• Drops

And for live rosin vape cartridges, look for:

• Solr Bear
• Lish

These products tend to appeal to people who care deeply about process, purity, and the full expression of the plant.

So Which One Is Better?

Neither. And both.

Live resin is expressive, aromatic, and deeply tied to the roots of dab culture. Live rosin is refined, solventless, and closer to the raw voice of the flower.

Some days you want loud. Some days you want nuanced. Some days you want whatever hits hardest behind the eyes and lets you forget about the world for a minute.

The good news is that we live in a time where all of those options exist, are lab tested, and are legally available. If you’re unsure where to start, talk to a budtender. We love this stuff. Some of us have been loving it for a very long time.

And yes. It still feels a little like freebasing cannabis.