Iftikhar Alam
Author
Reviewed by Cannabis Experts
Published on: September 22, 2021 | Updated on: September 4, 2024
Cannabis is often thought of as a gift that keeps on giving. You will be left with ash and tar in your bowl after you have smoked your cannabis. These have the potential to harden and convert into resin.
When your dealer is unavailable or you are too sluggish to visit a dispensary, you may resort to smoking resin.
Remember that you are smoking tar before you start smoking your resin. The high will not be as good as it was when you smoked the buds. Many others, however, utilize resin to tide them over until they can get more weed.
What is resin?
Cannabis resin is the sticky residue that builds up on your pipe or bong after multiple smoking sessions if you have not cleaned it. It has a burned flavor and is black and sticky. It is largely made up of tar, with traces of ash, and charcoal. All of which are toxic to inhale.
This does not mean that occasional usage of resin will kill you. It just means that you should not make it a habit. As a result, even when you choose to smoke it on those rare times, the idea is to be mindful of how unhealthy it is.
Will resin get me high?
Resin has a substantially lower THC content than flower. When you light your weed, a lot of the THC will combust. With that stated, it is still possible to get high from resin. However, you will need a lot more resin to achieve the same high as actual flower.
To get high, you will need a lot more resin than flower. That implies the high you receive from resin will not last very long.
Furthermore, the smoke is thick and harsh, which can irritate your throat and lungs rapidly, and because smoking resin requires more heat, you may end up inhaling extra butane by holding the lighter’s flame through the bowl longer.
Weed resin vs. Live resin
We need to distinguish between weed resin, which is the residue left on pipes and bongs, and live resin, which refers to cannabis concentrates.
Fresh cannabis trichomes are used to extract live resin. It is a high-quality concentrate that is heavy in cannabinoids and terpenes and has a flavor profile that is quite close to that of the cannabis plant.
The chemical components are extracted using a butane extraction after the fresh plant material is frozen. This results in a potent product that contains high levels of THC, CBD, terpenes, and other cannabinoids (often double than the original plant it was sourced from).
How do you scrape pipe resin?
By all means necessary is how you scrape pipe resin. Because each pipe is slightly different, you may need to be inventive at times. Scrape only from glass or hard metal pipes, though.
Please be aware that this is going to be a messy situation. Avoid skin and clothing contact as much as possible. Here are some materials that will help you scrape the resin out of your bowl.
- Paperclip or Bobby Pin: You will need anything that can be bent into form. You need to be able to scrape around curves with ease.
- Lighter: Lighting the resin will reheat it and make scraping it easier.
- Parchment paper: To collect your resin, you will need a non-stick disposable surface. You might also use wax paper or gum paper. You do not want to smear resin onto any objects that you plan to keep around because this will make a mess.
- Smoker’s Multi-tool: A little smoker’s multi-tool, which is useful for scraping-out bowls, can be purchased online or at head shops. This is not required, but it is a handy tool to have around.
What are the different ways of smoking resin?
There are a variety of ways to smoke resin; none of them are particularly good, but some are superior to others. Here are some suggestions for igniting some resin:
Joint
Resin burns more slowly than flower. Because resin is dense, there will be insufficient airflow across the joint. You will still get some smoke, but do not expect it to be a top-notch joint.
Vaporizer
On the market, there are numerous durable weed vaporizers and wax pens. It will work to some extent, but it is not recommended, especially because your vaporizer will possibly get ruined.
Your vape will have a strange odor or taste from the resin. It can be difficult to get rid of the scent from your vape. Because resin vaporizes at a much greater temperature than THC, you will need a lot more heat.
Edibles or tea
Some people claim to manufacture resin tea by boiling their pipe in water and then making tea with the infusion. This honestly sounds disgusting and is not recommended. But it is possible.
Resin edibles are also a way to consume small traces of THC but the taste will be absolutely horrific. Needless to say, eating or drinking resin should be the absolute last result.
Pipe
The greatest way to smoke resin and a favorite approach. It is even better if you have a water filter (bong or bubbler) to reduce the smoke’s harshness.
Dry heat the pipe
The nice part about this method is that you will not have to scrape any resin out of your pipe. Why put yourself through the difficulty when the resin is already in your pipe?
Simply heat the pipe as if it had actual flower in the bowl and puff a few times. The resin will heat up and emit smoke.
Sources
Footnotes
- Clarke EG, Robinson AE. When is cannabis resin?. Medicine, Science and the Law. 1970;10(3):139-48.
- Lindholst C. Long term stability of cannabis resin and cannabis extracts. Australian Journal of Forensic Sciences. 2010;42(3):181-90.
- Grlie L. A comparative study on some chemical and biological characteristics of various samples of cannabis resin. Bull Narcot. 1976;14:37-46.
- Radošević A, Kupinić M, Grlić L. Antibiotic activity of various types of Cannabis resin. Nature. 1962;195(4845):1007-9.
References
- Why Smoking Reclaimed Cannabis Resin Isn’t a Good Idea. Healthline. Accessed 4/9/2024.
- How Do You Smoke Cannabis Resin?. Pure Oasis. Accessed 4/9/2024.
- How to Smoke Live Resin. HOJ. Accessed 4/9/2024.
The content provided on this blog is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Cannabis use is subject to local laws and regulations, which vary widely by jurisdiction. Always consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new treatment or altering an existing treatment regimen. The authors and publishers of this blog are not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided herein. Use cannabis responsibly and in accordance with applicable laws. This blog is intended for adults aged 21 and over. The Sanctuary Dispensaries D186, D187.