Cannabis rosin at a glance
Cannabis rosin is a cannabis extract made with heat and pressure. No solvent touches the plant material. A press pushes resin out of flower, hash, or kief. The result is a sticky oil that hardens at room temperature.
The name comes from the old term for pine resin. Rosin in this context holds cannabinoids, terpenes, and plant waxes from the input material.
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How rosin is made
A rosin press has two heated plates and a hydraulic or manual ram.
- Material goes into a filter bag. Flower uses 90 to 160 micron bags. Hash uses 25 to 45 micron bags.
- Plates heat to 180 to 220 F (82 to 104 C).
- Pressure runs 500 to 2,000 psi for flower. Hash needs less, often 300 to 800 psi.
- Press time runs 30 to 90 seconds.
- Oil flows onto parchment paper and cools.
Lower heat keeps more terpenes. Higher heat raises yield.
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Types of rosin
- Flower rosin: pressed from dried flower. Yield is 10 to 20 percent.
- Hash rosin: pressed from bubble hash or dry sift. Yield is 40 to 70 percent.
- Live rosin: pressed from hash made with fresh frozen plants. Terpene content is higher.
- CBD rosin: pressed from hemp or high-CBD flower. THC content depends on the input plant.
Rosin vs resin
Rosin has no solvent. Resin, also called live resin, uses butane, propane, or ethanol. Resin producers purge the solvent after extraction. Rosin producers skip that purge step. Rosin yields less per gram of input, so it costs more.
Legal status in the United States
Federal law separates hemp from marijuana by delta-9 THC content. Hemp is Cannabis sativa L. with 0.3 percent or less delta-9 THC on a dry weight basis. USDA rules cover hemp production. Rosin pressed from hemp flower can pass that threshold, but extraction concentrates whatever is in the input. A lab test is the only way to confirm the number.
The FDA has not approved cannabis or CBD as a dietary supplement or food ingredient. Some states allow CBD rosin sales. Others do not. Check state law.
Storage and testing
Rosin degrades with heat, light, and air. Store it in a glass jar, in the dark, below 70 F. Refrigeration slows terpene loss. A cold jar also makes rosin easier to handle.
Ask for a certificate of analysis (COA) from an ISO 17025 lab. The COA should list cannabinoid potency, terpenes, residual solvents, pesticides, heavy metals, and microbials. Residual solvents should read zero on a rosin COA.