// Definition
The biological membrane composed of phospholipids that forms the outer wall of trichome heads. This membrane is hydrophobic, traps cannabinoids and some terpenes inside, and when heated during rosin pressing, thermally decomposes into smaller noxious compounds rather than simply melting — a key reason why removing the wax membrane through pressing produces a cleaner, safer concentrate.
// From the Episode
Mark Scialdone explained that when you disrupt these membranes through heat and pressure, you turn them “almost in a very perturbed way inside out,” releasing the intracellular contents on the outside. He warned that the phospholipids thermally decompose to smaller compounds that are noxious and should not be inhaled, making dewaxing or rosin pressing important steps for producing clean concentrates.