- What is HHC?
- Where does HHC come from?
- Are HHCS safe to manufacture?
- What are the physical and mental effects of HHC?
- How powerful is the HHC?
- Does HHC show up in screening tests?
- Is HHC legal?
Cannabis-derived HHC is not THC, but it does provide a THC Lean experience
In the wave of cannabinoids extracted from marijuana, we found 8 increments of THC, δ O tetrahydrocannabinol and 10 increments of THC. In the little-known HHCS, this cannabinoid derived from marijuana holds great potential, but also raises many questions.
1.What is HHC?
A Google search for the compound turns up a lot of conflicting information: about its legality, its effects on the body, even its natural presence in the cannabis plant.
It is hard to understand the HHC, not least because it has only recently appeared on the market and is sold by only a handful of retailers, mostly in the form of e-cigarettes. However, this cannabinoid has great potential. Don’t be surprised if you start hearing about it soon.
As federal and state agencies continue to ban delta-8 THC (the most popular cannabis-derived cannabinoid), HHCS offer even more legal promise – and appeal – because it’s not a THC compound at all. It may also escape drug testing, though the evidence at this time is purely anecdotal.
2.Where does HHC come from?
Le HHC was founded in 1944 by American chemist Roger Adams when he added molecules of hydrogen to Delta-9 THC. This process, called hydrogenation, converts THC into hexahydrocannabinol (HHC).
Hydrogenation is not limited to the production of cannabinoids. A similar process is used to convert vegetable oil into margarine.
While Adams created HHCS from traditional THCS that come from marijuana, cannabinoids are now generally obtained through a process that began with marijuana, a low-THC marijuana plant that was made federally legal by Congress in the 2018 farm bill.
This is a multi-step process. First, CBD is extracted, distilled, and separated in powder form from raw marijuana. From there, things get a little complicated.
3.Are HHCS safe to manufacture?
Richard Sams, director of science at KCA LABS in Nicholasville, Ky., has been testing HHC products (including, by the way, those from Bearly Legal) for the past few months. He says Leafly HHC can be produced safely in a well-equipped laboratory. But if you increase production, the risk increases. “The potential risk here is an explosion,” he explained.
Kyle Ray of Colorado Chromatography points out that his company makes HHCS in safe, “blast-proof” Spaces. Everything is done underground and there is no risk of static discharge, “he explained.
4.What are the physical and mental effects of HHC?
There is no consensus on the effectiveness of HHC. Part of the complication is that when making cannabinoids, the end result is a mixture of two different types of HHC molecules: 9R HHC actively bind to the body’s natural endocannabinoid receptors, while 9S HHC are not as good due to their slightly different molecular structure.
In other words, HHC has similar effects on the body and mind as THC, but HHC is less potent than delta-8 THC, milligram to milligram. The Delta-8 THC itself is generally considered to be half of the standard delta-9 THC.
5.How powerful is the HHC?
Kyle Ray of Colorado Chromatography tells Leafly that while the ratio of active and inactive HHC molecules may vary from batch to batch, they must be at least 50 percent active to be accepted.
“It’s not profitable to try to separate and isolate these two molecules from each other, so much so that it doesn’t really make a viable product,” he explains. “So when we make HHC, our goal is always to maximize the number of active [compounds] and minimize the number of less active [compounds]. However, it’s never a perfect game. We tend to be around 2:1 or 1:1.”
6.Does HHC show up in screening tests?
Mr. Burns of Bearly Legal believes that part of the appeal of HHC stems from evidence that they can evade drug tests. But, and this is important, he acknowledges that this evidence is anecdotal. That’s exactly what he’s hearing from his clients.
James Stephens, vice president of innovation at marijuana biotech firm Creo, sees a similar argument about HHC. “I also saw ads that HHC didn’t turn into 11-hydroxytetrahydrocannabinol, which is a common metabolite in drug testing,” he told Leafly. “If this turns out to be true, it could be used to evade the drug testing regime,” he added.
Caveat: There is no conclusive evidence that HHC do not show up in marijuana tests. Don’t bet your job or career on anecdotal evidence.
7.Is HHC legal?
Now we come to perhaps the thorniest question of all: Is HHC legal?
Bearly Legal says yes. The company’s website claims that since HHC comes from marijuana, not THC, there is no problem. “HHC-based e-cigarettes, gum, or food products are perfectly legal at the federal level, and likely remain so at the state level,” we can read on the website.
Company officials further claim that because HHC is found in the seeds and pollen of marijuana plants, it is “non-synthetic” and therefore a “perfectly legal federal marijuana extract.”
Not surprisingly, other retailers agree. In a bizarre brand of content that recently appeared in LA Weekly, Binoid claims that cannabinoids are legal… But warned it could “eventually” be shipped to all 50 states.
Other experts are more skeptical. Creo cannabinoid scientist James Stephens argues that HHC is subject to the federal Analogue Act, which states that any substance that resembles a Schedule I drug, in this case regular THC, will be it. – It’s even considered a Schedule I drug. As THC is still illegal, so is HHC. Mr Stephens also argued that the substance has important similarities to the synthetic drugs K2 and Spice, which mimic THC and are also classified as Schedule 1 drugs.
Currently, HHC products exist (and thrive) in the dark legal zone between marijuana (which is legal nationwide) and marijuana (which is legal nationwide). Before HHC are included in the national regulatory system, consumers must weigh the risks and benefits of these compounds for themselves.
