Hexahydrocannabinol is a hydrogenated derivative of tetrahydrocannabinol. It is a natural phytocannabinoid that has rarely been identified as a trace component in Cannabis sativa, but it can also be produced synthetically through hydrogenation. Hexahydrocannabinol (HHC) is a natural phytocannabinoid found in the cannabis plant and is considered a minor cannabinoid. HHC is a hydrogenated derivative of delta-8 and delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (THC).
Although found naturally in Cannabis sativa in small quantities, it can be produced synthetically by hydrogenation (the addition of molecular hydrogen to a double bond) of cannabis extracts. HHC can also be made from cannabidiol (CBD). HHC is a cannabinoid found in the cannabis plant in small quantities. It can also be made synthetically.
Very few studies have been done on the effects of HHC. This is because the substance is relatively new. So what exactly is hexahydrocannabinol? HHC is a natural cannabinoid in cannabis plants; however, it occurs in small quantities, so HHC in consumer products is semisynthetic. Some of it is the product of a laboratory procedure.
This production process consists of isolating HHC molecules from the cannabis plant and combining them with a catalyst to form a new compound. Synthetically produced HHC products are also likely to contain higher concentrations of HHC compared to natural cannabis, so higher doses may result in more serious adverse side effects. User reports often describe the high level of HHC between Delta 8 and Delta 9 THC, and some HHC products may be more intoxicating than others. Although HHC is not THC, it mimics THC and, since THC is illegal, they believe that HHC should also be.
