Hemp-based HHC products have never been more popular. A legal alternative to THC and a more potent option than delta-8, HHC has plenty going for it. You can already find it in gummies, tincture oils, and vape cartridges, to name a few.
Does Hemp-based HHC make you high? The answer is a resounding yes! In this post, I want to look at why HHC produces psychoactive effects and explore the substance’s other properties.
But before all that, let’s kick off with the five best HHC products you can buy.
1. ELYXR LA – HHC Tincture (1000mg)
Consume HHC safely and effectively with one of these nano-infused HHC Tinctures from ELYXR LA. Checking in at an impressive 1000mg HHC (33.3mg/ml), ELYXR’s premium HHC-enhanced oils promise a memorable psychoactive experience.
ELYXR uses high-quality HHC distillate mixed with delicious terpenes in its tincture oils. Some blends – such as Lemon Verbena and Mellow Grape – dial in on specific effects. You can enjoy all tinctures under the tongue or in foods and beverages.
ELYXR LA provides an extensive third-party lab report from KCA Labs. We can see these tinctures are Farm Bill compliant, contain plenty of HHC, and are free from any foreign matter and impurities.
Blends: (Awake) Lemon Verbena, Citrus Orange, Peppermint, (Relax) Blueberry Lavender Lemonade, (Sleep) Mellow Grape
2. 3Chi – HHC Vape Cartridges
With 95% HHC and 5% terpenes, you won’t find many more powerful HHC vape cartridges than those from 3Chi. Famously the first brand to start stocking hemp-based legal highs, 3Chi has come good with its HHC cartridge collection.
These carts have a polycarbonate tank and a ceramic coil and contain broad-spectrum HHC oil. 3Chi keeps things pure, refusing to use MCT, vitamin E, VG, PG, or other cutting agents in its cartridges.
Operable through breath or button activation, 3Chi aims to keep the vaping experience simple. All 3Chi cartridge products are third-party tested by KCA Labs and have zero detectable THC.
Strains: Blue Dream (CDT), Granddaddy Purple (CDT), Green Crack, Northern Lights (CDT), Pineapple Express, Snowman (CDT)
3. Work – HHC + Delta-8 + Delta-10 Disposable
The supersize Sledgehammer disposable vaporizer from Work registers at an astonishing 2.5 grams. Mighty and magnificent, these disposables contain a unique blend of HHC, delta-8, and delta-10 – the three hot legal hemp highs right now.
The mixture of calming HHC and rejuvenating delta-8 makes the Sledgehammer hybrid-like in effects. The well-balanced high means these disposables work well in the mornings, afternoons, and evenings!
The Sledgehammer from Work comes in four different strains. If the built-in battery runs down, recharge using a USB type C cord. All products are Farm Bill compliant and third-party tested by Encore Labs.
Strains: Rainbow Candy, Strawberry Banana, Strawberry Slush, Watermelon Punch
4. HHC E-Liquid by Genesis
Ever wanted to mix HHC with other substances? Now you can with this standalone HHC E-Liquid. While pre-sealed carts and disposables offer convenience, buying bottled e-liquid means you can get creative.
The HHC isn’t overbearing here, with a mere 10mg/ml – the 100ml bottle has 1000mg HHC in all.
If you’ve thought about combining HHC with nicotine, CBD, delta-8, or perhaps THC, now you can with HHC E-Liquid. Third-party tested and Farm Bill compliant.
Flavors: Blue Raspberry, Bubble Gum, Starburst, Watermelon
5. HHC Cartridges by Genesis
Take the hassle out of vaping with a high-strength HHC Cartridge. Fit the cartridge to any 510-threaded battery and enjoy. The vape juice comes sealed within the cartridge, so you’ll never need to top it up.
The HHC Cartridge cocktail consists of top-shelf HHC distillate extract and natural, plant-based terpenes. The latter provide flavor but also determine whether a cartridge works as an energizing sativa or a soothing indica.
HHC Cartridges contain 1000mg of hemp extract. Farm Bill compliant with less than 0.3% THC, products undergo regular third-party testing.
Strains: Ekto Cooler (Hybrid), Pink Kush (Hybrid), Purple Urkle (Indica), Slurricane (Indica), Maui Wowie)
How Does HHC Make You High?
HHC’s psychoactive effects are mysterious and magical and not necessarily easy to understand. But it all boils down to the CB1 receptor in the endocannabinoid system (ECS), with HHC making you high in the same way that THC does.
CB1 receptors are most abundant in the central nervous system. HHC cannabinoids link up with these receptors in the brain after passing through the blood-brain barrier – something not all substances can do.
HHC is a CB1 receptor agonist but has a relatively low binding affinity at the receptor. Therefore, HHC does not have quite the psychoactive power of THC – but by linking up with the CB1 receptor, it still produces an intoxicating effect.
What is HHC?
HHC (hexahydrocannabinol) is a semi-synthetic cannabinoid. It’s found in the natural world, but most HHC comes from laboratories. HHC is a hydrogenated derivative of THC, hence why it has similar characteristics to the main component of cannabis.
Hemp-derived HHC has been legal in the United States since 2018. While marijuana has likely generated trace quantities of HHC for thousands of years, researchers didn’t identify it until 1947. HHC was still largely unknown until the 2018 Farm Bill.
In making hemp legal, lawmakers accidentally legalized many cannabinoids, such as HHC, that can form the basis of legal highs. The Farm Bill de-scheduled all cannabinoids except for THC, which the law caps at 0.3%.
However, the bill’s wording means that companies can make legal hemp products with enormous amounts of psychoactive HHC. Providing the overall THC content stays below 0.3%, hemp-based HHC products are legal!
We’ve seen several hemp-derived cannabinoids emerge from obscurity, including delta-8 and delta-10. But I think the arrival of HHC is especially exciting, given it has so much in common with THC.
Despite limited research, experts believe HHC is roughly 80% as powerful as THC and that it has a slightly more relaxing profile of effects. HHC is a better like-for-like THC substitute than delta-8, delta-10, or other THC analogs.
What else does HHC do?
HHC is popular among recreational users for its mind-altering effects. If you can’t get your hands on legal marijuana, HHC is the next best thing. But we shouldn’t dismiss the therapeutic potential of HHC, either.
Let’s work on the assumption that HHC is like THC. We don’t have many studies yet on HHC’s effects, but lots of research points to the medicinal benefits of THC.
From our knowledge of THC, we can infer that HHC may help to reduce pain, combat inflammation, and tackle eating disorders through appetite stimulation. The euphoric effects could offer benefits for those with mood issues.
I don’t want to go over the top. I’m excited about HHC’s possibilities, but please don’t take this information as official medical advice. Consider this as educational and informative content only. Consult a doctor if you require medical assistance.
HHC Side Effects
During your HHC high, you may experience impaired hand-eye coordination, short-term memory loss, and delayed reaction time. These are all common and wear off as the psychoactive effects subside.
Anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations appear to occur less often with HHC than with THC-rich marijuana. As HHC is not as potent, it’s less prone to causing these side effects. But you should keep this in mind and monitor your dose to avoid any nasty surprises.
Other temporary HHC side effects may include increased heart rate, dry eyes, red eyes, and dry mouth. Nausea and vomiting are rare but not unheard of.
Safe HHC products should not pose any problems. But please be extra careful with vaping products, such as e-liquids and cartridges.
Illegal vaping products have previously been linked to illness and death due to the use of cheap, unsafe ingredients. Eliminate these risks by only purchasing from third-party tested brands.
The Legal Status of HHC
You might be a bit baffled as to why HHC is legal when THC isn’t, especially since the two cannabinoids share so many similarities. For clarity, it’s only hemp-derived HHC that’s legal, and there’s debate as to whether HHC should be allowed.
The Farm Bill doesn’t cap HHC levels. If hemp-derived HHC products have less than 0.3% THC, all is well. However, concerns have circulated about HHC potentially meeting the synthetic cannabinoid description.
Most people refer to HHC as semi-synthetic. You can source it naturally, but for economic reasons, most HHC comes from the laboratory. Chemists make HHC from CBD or THC extract using the hydrogenation process.
According to the DEA, synthetic tetrahydrocannabinols are substances made with non-cannabis materials. That describes highly dangerous products like Spice, but not HHC distillate, which starts as natural hemp extract.
For sure, HHC exists in a grey area – but we can state with confidence that it doesn’t meet the DEA’s description of synthetic. Unless the DEA updates the Farm Bill or federal lawmakers pass new legislation, HHC should remain legal.
Even so, individual states could move against HHC, as several have already done with delta-8. At this stage, HHC has a lower profile than delta-8, hence why it probably hasn’t caught lawmakers’ interest. But it’s something to watch out for in the future.
What to Look for When Buying HHC Products
Like all hemp products, purchasing HHC isn’t as simple as it sounds. I’ve made things as easy as possible by making a top-five list. But otherwise, you must do some research to ensure you’re buying high-quality HHC.
Third-Party Lab Tests
As of February 2022, the FDA doesn’t regulate HHC or other hemp-derived products. Therefore, we can only establish whether HHC products are legit or not through third-party testing.
Genuine brands like third-party testing, as they get the chance to be transparent about their practices. For scammers, transparency exposes their trickery. Hence, third-party testing has been effective in cleaning up the market.
Third-party lab reports or certificates of analysis (COA) should cover three areas: Farm Bill compliance, HHC potency, and purity. HHC products must have less than 0.3% THC.
The potency section ensures brands aren’t ripping you off by making products that have less than HHC than stated. Not every company provides a purity analysis, but I like to know if my product contains any nasties (i.e., residual solvents, heavy metals).
Product Potency
HHC is for everyone – but that means products vary in strength! Some are for newcomers or those who may only use HHC now and again, while others are targeted at regular users who need high dosages.
Check how potent an HHC product is before buying by looking at the overall amount of HHC and the mg/ml breakdown. Tincture oils should tell you how much HHC you’ll get per full dropper, while edibles will have info on the quantity of HHC per serving.
Full Ingredient List
You can glean crucial details about an HHC product from the ingredient list. For instance, does the product contain artificial flavorings or terpenes? What carrier oil has the brand used in its tincture oil? Does the cartridge have any cutting agents?
The type of hemp extract used matters, too. HHC products made with full-spectrum hemp will have traces of THC, which may show up on a drug test. But other brands make THC-free HHC products.
Purchasing HHC Products Online vs. Shops Near Me
HHC’s potential as a money-maker has not gone unnoticed. But with so many companies now selling HHC, there’s a lot of low-grade stuff lurking around.
For that reason, I suggest purchasing HHC from an online vendor rather than a local shop. You can’t trust convenience stores or similar brick-and-mortar shops to stock safe and genuine products.
But for specialist hemp retailers, selling legit products can be the difference between staying in or going out of business. Therefore, these vendors take maximum care when deciding what products to offer.
