There’s no doubt that if you are a cannabinoid enthusiast, you have seen HHC on the shelves or online. HHC has quickly skyrocketed in popularity over the last year and has become many people’s go-to cannabinoid product. HHC is actually one of the newer cannabinoids to emerge on the market, so it’s only natural that people have some questions about its origins. This guide will go through everything that you need to know about HHC so that you can decide for yourself if it is something that you are interested in trying.
So let’s jump right in and start off by answering the big question, where does HHC come from?
Table of contents:
- Key Takeaways
- Where Does HHC Come From Exactly?
- Is It Safe To Make HHC?
- Will HHC Make You High?
- How Long Does It Take For The Effects Of HHC To Kick In?
- How Does HHC Make You Feel?
- Does It Have Side Effects?
- How Is HHC Different From Delta-8 THC Or Delta-9 THC?
- How Potent Is HHC?
- Does HHC Show Up On A Drug Test?
- Is HHC Legal?
- Final Thoughts
Key Takeaways
- Origin of HHC: HHC is a hydrogenated form of THC, created by replacing double bonds with hydrogen atoms, primarily made from Delta-9 THC.
- Safety Concerns: HHC production involves high-pressure processes, requiring professional lab settings; attempting it at home is highly discouraged due to potential dangers.
- Effectiveness and Experience: HHC provides potential effects similar to THC products; its potency lies between Delta-8 and Delta-9 THC, offering a satisfying experience based on individual tolerance and strain type.
- Legal Status and Caution: Federally legal due to the 2018 Farm Bill, HHC legality varies by state; regular monitoring of state laws is necessary to avoid legal issues.
Where Does HHC Come From Exactly?
HHC is actually a hydrogenated form of standard THC, typically made from Delta-9 THC. What this means is that it is created by replacing the double bonds found in the chemical makeup of Delta-9 with hydrogenated atoms.
This chemical conversion acts to stabilize the compound and increase its overall shelf life. The addition of hydrogenated atoms to Delta 9 THC also vastly increases its resistance to oxidation, which is one of THC’s worst enemies in terms of quality preservation. Hemp and cannabis plants naturally contain extremely low levels of HHC. In order to meet demand, it is typically made in a lab setting. This would technically label HHC as a semi-synthetic cannabinoid compound.
To get more detailed about the creation process of HHC, we must first discuss the hydrogenation process and what its purpose is. The discovery of HHC was made in the 1940s by a man named Roger Adams.
He patented the process in 1947 and provided more details about how the hydrogenation of THC worked and the results that it achieved. In layman’s terms, the process involves using extremely high pressure, hydrogen atoms, and some form of inert material as a catalyst to break away the double bonds present in THC’s chemical makeup. The pressure is used to break the double bond and the hydrogen atom is used to bring the compound back to a stable state. The new compound formed after the addition of the hydrogen atom is what we know as HHC.
It is also common to find that HHC has been made by converting CBD using a similar method. Hydrogenation as a whole is an extremely complex process that has taken many years to master. Luckily for us, we live in a time when cannabinoid scientists have the resources and skills to make such a thing possible.
Is It Safe To Make HHC?
Making HHC can be an extremely dangerous process due to the use of extremely high pressure. The hydrogenation process is one that can only be done safely by a professional in a lab setting. This means that it is absolutely not advised that anyone try it at home.
Of course, it is highly unlikely that most people would even have the equipment necessary to attempt to make their own HHC. Hydrogenation is a complex process that even skilled cannabinoid scientists may not have fully mastered yet. There is no data to confirm whether HHC is safe to use or not, but it is a known fact that it can only be safely made in a lab setting with access to the appropriate equipment and safety precautions in place.
Even for cannabinoid scientists tasked with creating the HHC people enjoy, it can still be quite dangerous. Anytime there is high-pressure machinery involved, there is a risk of getting hurt. At the end of the day, it’s best to leave making HHC up to the professionals who have trained and pioneered the hydrogenation process.
Will HHC Make You High?
HHC will produce effects that are just like any product containing THC that you may have tried before. HHC is said by many to be more effective than Delta-8 but not quite as effective as Delta-9 THC. This makes it a great midpoint between the two popular cannabinoid products. As a result, HHC affects everyone differently. If you have a higher tolerance to THC in general, then you may find that HHC is not as effective at smaller doses. Many people do not believe that legal cannabinoid products can rival the standard Delta-9 THC from cannabis plants.
Nothing could be further from the truth. HHC is one of the more potent cannabinoid compounds that has been created and is sure to give you the satisfying experience that you are looking for. You can only truly know how HHC will affect you by trying it for yourself. If you like, you could try asking people that you know who may have tried HHC what to expect.
How Long Does It Take For The Effects Of HHC To Kick In?
How long it takes for the effects of HHC to kick in will depend largely on the method you have chosen to utilize HHC. For example, smokeable or vapeable versions of HHC have an extremely quick onset of effects, typically around one to two minutes. This is because when you smoke or vape HHC, it is delivered directly into the bloodstream.
Infused products with HHC, like gummies or tinctures, will have a much longer onset of potential effect since they have to be processed before the potential effects begin. It will take around an hour or more for these methods to begin working. Many people mistakenly re-dose HHC after taking edible forms because they believe that it is not working or they did not take enough. This often leads to people taking too much because the first dose has simply not had enough time to begin working.
To avoid this, you should always wait at least an hour and a half before taking more HHC if you have chosen edible versions as your way to experience it. This will give your first dose a chance to start working, so you can gauge whether you really need to re-dose at that time or not.
How Does HHC Make You Feel?
How HHC makes you feel is likely to be different from someone else’s experience with it. Since HHC affects everyone differently, it is hard to say for sure how it will make you feel. That being said, it is a cannabinoid compound that has trace amounts of THC in it, so you can expect an experience that is similar to other products containing THC that you may have tried.
To know how HHC feels, you must try it yourself. Most people report that they are extremely satisfied with the result of HHC and that it is one of the more effective cannabinoid products that they have tried.
As previously mentioned, as long as you use the appropriate amount of HHC for your tolerance and experience level, you are likely to enjoy yourself and the effects. Those with higher tolerances and experience levels with THC may find that HHC is milder than Delta-9 but stronger than Delta-8. Another thing that can influence how HHC makes you feel is the strain type that you have chosen. Different strains have slightly different effect profiles that will influence your overall experience. There is a large amount of research available on the effects of THC if you are still unsure of how it will make you feel. It also couldn’t hurt to ask some people you know with experience using HHC what you can expect from your experience.
Does It Have Side Effects?
There are no documented negative side effects of HHC. That being said, the research on HHC is still ongoing, so we cannot say for sure whether or not it has any side effects. Beyond the normal effects that products containing THC bring, there is nothing confirmed about HHC yet.
One thing that you should consider is that taking too much HHC can be an overwhelming experience that is not what many consider pleasant. This is why it is important to use only the recommended dose that is appropriate for your experience and tolerance level.
How Is HHC Different From Delta-8 THC Or Delta-9 THC?
The main way that HHC differs from Delta 8 and Delta 9 is in its effectiveness. HHC is thought to be around twice as effective as Delta-8 but a little less effective than Delta-9. HHC is also not yet as common as Delta-8 or Delta-9. This will likely change in the future as more products containing HHC hit the shelves of stores and online markets.
Another way in which HHC differs from Delta-8 and Delta-9 is in its chemical structure. HHC is a hydrogenated type of cannabinoid that enables it to be more stable and boosts its effectiveness and shelf life over other cannabinoid products. All in all, HHC, Delta-8, and Delta-9 are very similar, with the only major difference being how effective they are. This factor can help you decide which cannabinoid product is best for you.
If you are a beginner and do not have much experience with THC, Delta-8 would be a great place to start. If you have more experience with THC and are looking for something a bit more effective, then HHC is a good choice. For those who want maximum effectiveness, then Delta-9 is likely what you are looking for.
Related Article: HHC vs. Delta-9 and Delta-8 THC: What Are the Differences?
How Potent Is HHC?
The potency of HHC will largely depend on your tolerance level and the quality and strain of HHC in the products you have purchased. Certain HHC strains will be slightly more effective than others, as well as having more diverse effect profiles.
How potent you perceive a certain HHC product to be will also depend heavily on your experience with THC products and your tolerance to THC in general. As far as comparing HHC to other cannabinoids goes, HHC is considered to be midway between the milder Delta-8 and the more effective Delta-9.
Does HHC Show Up On A Drug Test?
There is currently not enough information available to say for sure whether HHC will show up on a drug test. Of course, it is safe to assume that since HHC contains trace amounts of THC, eventually it could compound enough in your system to trigger a positive result for THC.
THC-COOH is the compound that all drug tests looking for THC test for. THC, once metabolized by the body, is broken down into THC-COOH and stored in the fat cells of the body. This is the case for all products containing THC.
The more frequently that you utilize HHC products, the larger the amounts of THC your system will convert to THC-COOH. Once the THC has been stored in the fat cells of your body, it will become extremely difficult for your body to remove it in a timely manner. This is why frequent use of HHC products can cause your body to retain the THC inside them for anywhere from two weeks up to a month or more. Of course, since legal HHC products contain only 0.3% THC, it will take much longer to reach these high levels of THC built up in the system.
If you are someone who only uses HHC products every now and then, it is likely that your body can clear the HHC from your system in as little as a week or two. All of this depends heavily on you personally and how often you have been using HHC products. The best thing that you can do if you have a drug test coming up is to stop using HHC products at least a week or two before your test. This will give your body the highest chance of having enough time to process the THC from your system naturally.
There is no way to speed up this process, so you will need as much time as you can to give your body a chance to work the THC out of your system.
Is HHC Legal?
HHC is legal federally in the United States because of the passing of the 2018 Farm Bill. This bill introduced into law states that any hemp-derived cannabinoid product containing less than 0.3% THC is legal at the federal level.
This bill opened the floodgates for the cannabinoid market to be filled with new products like HHC that can be purchased and used legally across the United States. To ensure that your HHC products are legal under this bill, you will need to make sure that they have been created from hemp and not cannabis and contain no more than 0.3% THC.
You should be aware that at the state level, HHC does not enjoy the same widespread legality. Just because HHC is legal federally does not mean that it will be legal in your state. Many states have taken a hard stance in the past few years against legal cannabinoid products, effectively making them illegal again by putting laws into place stating any products containing THC are illegal.
Because of this, it is important that you check out your state’s laws regarding HHC to see if they have put into place any laws that have made them illegal at the state level. You will be able to avoid future legal issues this way. The HHC laws in your state may also change at any time. This means you need to check back regularly to see if your state’s laws have changed in either direction.
Final Thoughts
We hope this guide has been helpful in giving you all the information you need to know about the popular new cannabinoid HHC. HHC will likely become even more popular as time goes on, so there has never been a better time to try it. Because HHC is more widely legal than other cannabinoids, it has never been easier to obtain.
We offer some of the highest-quality HHC products found anywhere online. If you are interested in trying HHC, you should check out our store, and you are sure to find something that suits your unique taste in cannabinoid products.
Related Article:
