HHC stands for hydroxyhexahydrocannabinol. It occurs naturally in hemp and marijuana plants in small concentrations. However, to generate usable quantities for retail sale, HHC is manufactured in a laboratory setting by subjecting concentrated THC to high pressure, hydrogen, and a catalyst such as palladium.

By saturating the molecule with hydrogen atoms, the shelf-life of this cannabinoid is extended substantially without altering the effect profile too much – like what margarine is to butter, in a sort of fashion. You can see the minor differences in chemical structure below:

HHC has very similar effects as Delta-9 THC. It can produce feelings of euphoria and stimulation, altered visual and auditory perception, changes in heart rate and body temperature, and altered headspace and cognition.

Many users report the effects of HHC are euphoric in nature & similar to that of Delta-8-THC, however they also say that it is less likely to leave you couch-locked or crippled with anxiety*. HHC is more potent than Delta-8 THC but slightly less potent than Delta-9 THC*. 

The real benefit of this cannabinoid comes from its impressive shelf-life, believe it or not. HHC offers very similar benefits to THC but comes in a much more stable form. When stored properly, it can last for years without degrading. Even when stored in poor conditions – HHC’s stable form is more resistant to oxidation and breakdown from excess heat and light.

There’s a lot of debate around the legality of cannabinoids like HHC and Delta-8 THC. Since HHC occurs naturally in the cannabis plant like Delta-8 THC, it falls under the 2018 Farm Bill legislation rules just like Delta-8 and CBD. In other words, as long as the end product contains less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC, it is legal for sale in the United States – subject to additional state and local laws.

Several states have restricted the sale of Delta-8 THC and a few more have pending legislation and are soon to follow. Leafy8 will be selling our HHC products to residents in states that have not banned or otherwise restricted the sale and use of Delta-8 THC.

HHC is marketed by some as not showing up on a conventional 12-panel drug test. This has a lot of people interested because the other THC alternatives, such as Delta-8 THC and Delta-10 THC will both contribute to a failure on urine or blood tests for THC. They break down into the same metabolites that Delta-9 THC does – hence the positive results.

Whether HHC can truly avoid drug tests or not is still up for debate. We don’t recommend consuming HHC if you are subject to drug testing. There’s some indication this compound doesn’t metabolize into 11-hydroxy-THC, which is the primary metabolite of THC drug tests can detect. However, this is only a theory and has not yet been tested to prove whether it’s true or not. We can’t definitively state whether someone will pass or fail – this will be up to the reader to do their own due diligence.

We are not responsible for any consequences that occur from a positive result!

Leafy8 released its full lineup of HHC vape cartridges on our website, available for immediate purchase here. Every few weeks we will drop even more vaporizer strains and unique products made with pure HHC distillate. Leafy8’s premium HHC vape cartridge formula is simple by design: Our ingredients are pure HHC distillate and top-notch strain-specific terpenes.

We also have bulk HHC distillate available for purchase – please call us or send a message through our website for ordering information. 

Be careful where you buy HHC. Always verify before purchase that the vendor in question has published Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for their products that feature their company name as the client, and do not appear to be visibly altered in any way.

Leafy8 was among the first in the nation to publish COAs that demonstrate quantifiable levels of HHC in our products. You can measure the total HHC percentage yourself by adding up the “9R-HHC” and “9S-HHC” values found in the “Laboratory Comments” section of our COAs.

The testing facility that we use for our HHC products implements a “Track and Trace” system using QR codes. These are designed to link back to the original version of the COA to ensure that you are viewing an authentic and unaltered document. Always verify that you are viewing an original HHC COA from by scanning the QR code found at the bottom of each page.

HHC is a very exciting cannabinoid with a lot of mystery behind it. We’ve done our best to unravel the unknown and present this information in a factual manner. At the end of the day, we always recommend doing your own research and due diligence when trying new hemp-derived products like HHC or Delta-8 THC.

The team here at Leafy8 is proud to say we offer genuine HHC products for sale on our website and at our retail locations. We carefully select our terpenes to ensure they are the highest quality available, and do not cut our HHC vape cartridges with anything like MCT oil or cheaper cannabinoids. What you get from Leafy8 is always the best of the best – pure HHC distillate infused with high quality strain-specific terpenes.

*These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.