MJBiz - August 2023 - 36

applied
Science
Bags of fresh-frozen cannabis are stored in a freezer room owned by 4Front Ventures. Photo by Marvin Sandoval
Freeze for Later
Putting freshly harvested cannabis in a freezer helps retain
moisture and terpenes for live resin products
By Omar Sacirbey
A
s marijuana consumers
develop a better understanding
and appreciation for terpenes,
flavonoids and other chemical
compounds found in cannabis flower,
live resin products are becoming
increasingly popular.
Live resin can be used in many
different products, but it mostly
appears in vape cartridges, dabbable
concentrates and edibles.
The best way to create live resin is
from freshly harvested material that
still contains moisture, according to Nic
Robertson, vice president of operations
in Massachusetts for Phoenix-based
multistate operator 4Front Ventures.
36 August 2023 | MJBizMagazine
Moisture is critical to live resin because
it helps preserve terpenes, which
are " incredibly volatile, " Robertson
said. Even in the most optimal drying
environments, a significant amount of
terpenes will be lost.
But if plant material is frozen right
after or soon after it's harvested, its
moisture will be preserved, thereby
helping retain terpenes and other
desirable chemical compounds.
" No matter what, we are going to
lose some terpenes-even if under
the most perfect drying conditions, "
Robertson said. " There's never a higher
concentration of terpenes in plant
material than that day that you cut
it down. If you could do anything to
preserve that plant material as long
as you can, and to be able to put it
into something else, that's obviously
optimal. "
Freezing plant material within
minutes after harvest can preserve
terpenes and other compounds,
resulting in highly flavorful vape
cartridges and concentrates.
The Basics of Freezing
There are two ways to freeze cannabis.
One is so-called " flash freezing, "
which is typically used by outdoor
growers who must transport their
product to processing facilities that

MJBiz - August 2023

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MJBiz - August 2023 - Cover1
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