Key Takeaways
- Cannabis concentrates are processed extracts of cannabis flower, ranging from solventless rosin to butane-extracted live resin to crystalline diamonds.
- Solventless concentrates use only heat, pressure, ice, and water. Solvent-based concentrates use butane, propane, or CO2.
- Live rosin is the gold standard of solventless concentrates, made from fresh-frozen flower with no chemicals.
- Diamonds are crystalline THCA structures that form during extraction. Typically 95 percent or higher THC after heat conversion.
- New York adults 21 and up can possess up to 24 grams of concentrate, per the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act.
Concentrates are where cannabis gets nerdy. The terminology is dense. The textures look like science experiments. The prices range from reasonable to wallet-emptying. But once you understand the categories, picking a concentrate is no harder than picking a flower.
We have 68 concentrate SKUs in our case across rosin, resin, hash, diamonds, sauce, badder, shatter, and crumble. This is the breakdown that helps you make sense of the menu.
Welcome to the Hub.
Solventless vs Solvent-Based: The Big Split
Solventless concentrates use only mechanical methods (heat, pressure, ice, water). Solvent-based concentrates use chemicals like butane or propane. Both produce excellent products. Solventless costs more.
Solventless products are the cleanest extracts you can buy. Bubble hash is made by agitating cannabis in ice water to separate the resin glands. Rosin is bubble hash (or flower) pressed under heat and pressure to release a thick golden oil.
Solvent-based products use butane (BHO), propane (PHO), or CO2 to dissolve the cannabinoids out of the flower. The solvent is then purged off, leaving an extract. Live resin, shatter, and diamond sauce are typical solvent-based products.
Both methods produce excellent concentrates when done properly. Solventless costs more because the yield is lower and the input flower has to be premium. Solvent-based products tend to be cheaper and more potent on paper.
Live Concentrates menu:
What Live Rosin Actually Is
Live rosin is solventless concentrate pressed from fresh-frozen flower. The fresh-frozen step preserves terpenes that are usually lost during drying and curing.
The process: cannabis is harvested and immediately frozen. Frozen flower goes into ice water to make bubble hash. The bubble hash gets pressed with heat and pressure (a rosin press), and the result is live rosin.
Because nothing in this process uses solvents and the plant is never dried, you keep the original chemical profile. The flavor is closer to the actual strain than any other extract type.
Live rosin is the most expensive concentrate category, often $80 to $120 per gram in New York. The price reflects the input flower (premium fresh-frozen) and the lower yield compared to solvent extraction.
Live Resin vs Live Rosin: One Letter, Two Methods
Live resin uses solvents (butane or propane) to extract from fresh-frozen flower. Live rosin uses no solvents. The names sound the same, the methods are completely different.
Both start with fresh-frozen plant material, which is the key step that preserves terpenes. From there they diverge. Live resin is hydrocarbon-extracted. Live rosin is mechanically pressed.
Quality live resin is excellent. It tends to be brighter and more terpene-forward than distillate, and it costs less than live rosin because the extraction is more efficient.
If you want the cleanest possible product, live rosin. If you want maximum flavor at a more accessible price, live resin.
| Concentrate Type | Method | Price Tier | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Live Rosin | Heat + pressure, no solvents | Premium | Flavor purists, clean smoke |
| Live Resin | Hydrocarbon on fresh-frozen | Mid to premium | Terpene-forward dabbers |
| Cured Resin | Hydrocarbon on dried flower | Mid | Higher cannabinoid yield, less terpene |
| Distillate | Solvent + refinement | Budget | Pen oil, edibles, vapes |
| Diamonds + Sauce | Crystallized THCA + terpene liquid | Premium | High-tolerance dabbers |
The Concentrate Texture Glossary
Diamonds, sauce, badder, shatter, crumble, wax. Same plant, different textures, different uses.
Diamonds (The Crystalline Heavyweight)
Diamonds are crystalline THCA structures that form during extraction. They are nearly pure THCA, which converts to THC when heated. They taste neutral on their own and are often paired with sauce.
Sauce (The Terpene Carrier)
Sauce is the leftover terpene-rich liquid that surrounds the diamonds. It carries the flavor. Diamonds + sauce is the most common premium dab format in our case.
Badder (The Daily Driver)
Badder is concentrate that has been whipped during the purge process to give it a thick, creamy texture. Easy to scoop, great for dabbing.
Shatter (The OG)
Shatter is concentrate cooled into a glass-like sheet. Stable, cheap to ship, breaks apart cleanly. Shatter peaked in popularity around 2017 but it still has fans.
Crumble and Wax (The Easy Handlers)
Crumble is dry and crumbly, easy to portion. Wax is sticky, soft, easy to handle. Both are common entry-tier concentrates.
Live Live-Rosin and Hash menu:
How to Use Concentrates Without Buying a Dab Rig
Not every concentrate needs a rig. Vapes, infused pre-rolls, and topping a bowl all work depending on the texture.
Live rosin and live resin vapes. The most accessible way to consume concentrate. No rig, no torch, no learning curve. Pull and exhale.
Infused pre-rolls. Concentrate is added to the joint during rolling. You smoke it the same way you smoke any joint and you get the THC boost without owning a rig.
Topping a bowl. Sprinkle a small amount of crumble or break a piece of shatter over flower in your bowl. Light evenly. Works for anyone with a basic glass piece.
Hash holes. Some pre-rolls have a hash core in the middle. The Ruby Farms Hash Infused line is the easiest way to taste solventless hash without dabbing.
What a Dab Setup Actually Costs
A traditional dab rig setup runs $80 to $200 to build from scratch. An electronic device like the Puffco Peak Pro runs $400 and replaces the torch and timing.
Traditional setup: a small water pipe (the rig itself), a quartz banger, a butane torch, a carb cap, and a dab tool. The Puffco Hot Knife is one of the few accessories worth owning beyond the basics.
Electronic setup: the Puffco Peak Pro is the dominant device in our case. Temperature-controlled, no torch, predictable hits. The atomizers are user-replaceable so the device lasts.
Quartz vs ceramic vs titanium: quartz preserves flavor best. Ceramic is more durable and slightly muffles flavor. Titanium is durable but can produce a metallic taste at high temps.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need a dab rig to use concentrates?
Not always. Some concentrates work in vaporizers (live rosin and live resin carts), some can be added to flower in joints or bowls (badder, shatter), and some require a dab rig (diamonds, sauce). Pick the format that fits your setup.
Is live rosin worth the price?
If you care about flavor and clean extraction, yes. Live rosin tastes closer to the actual flower than any other concentrate. If you care more about THC percentage or budget, live resin or distillate gives you more value per dollar.
What temperature should you dab at?
Most concentrate users recommend dabbing between 500°F and 550°F. Lower temps preserve flavor. Higher temps produce thicker vapor but burn off lighter terpenes and can produce more harsh smoke.
Can NugHub deliver concentrates in NYC?
Yes. We deliver live rosin, live resin, diamonds, badder, shatter, and concentrate vapes across Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.
How should you store cannabis concentrates?
Keep concentrates in airtight glass or silicone containers, in a cool dark space. Long-term storage in the fridge works for some textures but causes condensation on others. Most concentrates are good for 6 to 12 months at room temperature.
How much concentrate equals a regular joint?
A typical dab is 0.05 to 0.1 grams of concentrate at 70 to 90 percent THC. That delivers 35 to 90mg of THC per dab. A 1-gram flower joint at 25 percent THC delivers about 250mg of THC total but spread across 30 to 60 minutes of smoking. Concentrates concentrate the dose.
Ready to Pick a Texture?
Check out the full Concentrates menu on NugHub NY. We deliver live rosin, live resin, diamonds, and infused pre-rolls across Staten Island, Brooklyn, and Manhattan.
Live Concentrates menu:
