What is rosin?

The rosin refers to both an extraction technique and the resulting cannabis concentrate. Unlike BHO or to PHO, rosin is a solvent-free extraction It relies solely on heat and pressure to «sweat» the resin out of the plant material. No butane, no propane, no chemical residues to purge.

The result is a translucent concentrate, often golden to amber in color, with a terpene profile generally superior to that of solvent extractions - since no chemicals are added to alter or denature the original aromas. Its THC is generally between 50 and 80% depending on the starting material, with a profile in terpenes and cannabinoids particularly well-preserved.

The English word «rosin» originally refers to rosin, a natural resin used to grease violin bows, whose heat-and-pressure extraction process inspired the cannabic technique.

History of rosin

Although it may have been made accidentally long before, rosin was first introduced to the cannabis community by ICMag in 2006, by a forum member named Compashon. It only gained notoriety in 2015 when Phil «Soilgrown» Salazar, while attempting to upgrade lower-quality hash, noticed that when pressing hash to flatten it, resin began to flow out of it.

He then places a piece of hashish between some greaseproof paper and presses it against a nail He then experimented with his wife's curling iron. He then experiments with his wife's curling iron, who suggests he try the hair straightener. After running out of hash, he tried flowers, with the same result. The technique was born.

In the years that followed, rosin production evolved towards industrial hydraulic presses enabling consistent mass production.

Rosin vs BHO: the fundamental differences

Types of raw materials

The quality of the final concentrate depends directly on the starting material.

Flower dew The most accessible. Contains a few traces of vegetable matter in the final product, which can add a slight herbaceous flavor. The use of a mesh bag (rosin bag) significantly reduces these contaminants. Typical yield: 10-20%.

Rosin de kief As the kief is already a concentration of trichomes separated from the plant matter, the resulting rosin is cleaner and richer in cannabinoids. Higher yield than flower rosin.

Rosin de hash / bubble hash the premium method. Visit bubble hash or dry sift is first produced, then pressed to obtain rosin. The final product, sometimes called hash rosin, is considered one of the highest quality concentrates available, with exceptional purity and aromatic profile.

Live rosin The top of the hierarchy. The freshly harvested plant is immediately frozen (live or WPFF), transformed into bubble hash by extraction with iced water, then pressed. This maximizes the terpene profile preserved from the moment of harvest. Not to be confused with live resin, which is a solvent extraction (BHO cryogenic), not a rosin.

Why is rosin so popular?

Solvent-free No chemical residues, no risk of butane or propane contamination, no need for purging. Rosin can be consumed immediately after extraction.

Security Unlike BHO, there's no risk of explosion when making rosin. A hair straightener is all you need to get started.

Preserved aromas Low-temperature extraction preserves volatile terpenes better than solvent extraction, giving rosin an aromatic profile that is often more faithful to the original cultivar.

Accessibility This is the only quality concentrate that can really be done at home with consumer equipment - a straightener, greaseproof paper, a dabber.

How to make rosin

To get started, you'll need: a hair straightener (or rosin press), greaseproof paper, a dabber, heat-resistant gloves.

A few practical tips from our tests:

• Make sure your cannabis isn't too dry - if it's crunchy, rewet it for 6 hours in a sealed container with damp paper towels wrapped in perforated aluminum foil.
• Before pressing, let the head warm up inside the paper for 10 seconds, pressing lightly.
• Temperatures : 110-120°C for 40-60 seconds better preserves terpenes and gives a result close to that of shatter ; 150°C for 5-10 seconds with high pressure gives more oil. Work by ear - a slight sizzle indicates that sublimation is underway.
• Place the paper in the freezer for 10 seconds after extraction to facilitate rosin collection.
• Typical yields : 10–20% with flowers (10g weed → 1-2g rosin).

There are rosin presses manual or hydraulic for more consistent results and larger volumes.

How to store rosin?

Rosin degrades under the effect of heat, light and oxygen - which accelerate the oxidation of terpenes and the breakdown of THC. Store on non-stick parchment paper in an airtight glass or silicone container, away from light and in a cool place. In the fridge, it will keep for several weeks without noticeable loss. For long-term storage (several months), the freezer is recommended. Wrap well to avoid condensation when defrosting.

How to eat rosin

Dabbing with a dab rig, This is the optimum mode for preserving aromas. As a spray for concentrates (Puffco Peak/Proxy, Gpen Micro+). Sprinkled or crumbled into a joint. For consumers who want to get the most out of their terpenes, a temperature of 170-190°C spray is recommended.

Rosin extraction test

Together with JuW from Légalisation Douce, we were able to test the Tarik Rosin thanks to LaCentraleVapeur and Dab French Conne710n. The Tarik Rosin is nothing more than a manual extraction press that takes the concept of the straightening iron, but offers a larger heating surface and more precise temperature control.

Tarik Rosin, oil slick wrap, oil slick mini, dabber and concentrate sprayer

How it works is simple: just let the machine come up to temperature, put a head in the oil slick wrap (the evolution of baking paper), maximum 1g, squeeze the whole thing and harvest the rosin.

Afterwards, here's a few tips for your rosin test is going well:

• Make sure your weed isn't too dry. If it's crunchy, you'll have trouble extracting rosin. In this case, rehumidify it by placing it in a closed Tupperware container, along with a damp paper towel wrapped in perforated aluminum foil. 6h of rehumidification should suffice.
• Before pressing your heads, you can let them warm up for around ten seconds inside their baking paper, by pressing lightly on the top of the press.
• As for temperature, we carried out several tests: 150°C for 10 seconds and 110°C for 40 seconds. High temperatures destroy more terpenes and cannabinoids, so some may prefer lower temperatures, with a result closer to shatter than oil. For our part, the shorter period of high pressure gave us good results.
• Work by ear. After 5 to 7 seconds at 150°C, you'll hear a sizzling sound which indicates that extraction is taking place (more precisely, sublimation). When you've reached this point, release the pressure for 1-2 seconds and remove the baking paper from the press.
• Removing resin from paper can be tedious, even with the right tool. Some people recommend placing the extraction in the freezer for 10s to cool it down and harvest it more easily.

Some varieties of cannabis will produce more rosin than others. So you may be disappointed if you try the first weed you come across. Rosin yields are between 10 and 20%, which means that if you have 10g of weed, you'll «only» get 1 to 2g of rosin.

The rosin can then be added to a joint, consumed in dab or in spray bottle to make the most of its terpenes and cannabinoids. Vaporizers like the Puffco Plus / Peak / Proxy or the Gpen Micro+ are specifically designed for the consumption of concentrates.